Short-term Rental Permits

The following is a summary of the short-term rental code(s); it is not intended to replace the city's municipal ordinance.

Short-term Rental Permits are mandatory for all short-term rental properties:

A short-term rental is any residential or commercial property, or part of a property, rented for 30 days or less.

This includes homes, garage apartments, backyard cottages, or similar units listed on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, and other rental websites.

Short-Term Rental Guidelines for Residential Zones

In residential zones, property owners are allowed to operate only one short-term rental, no matter how many properties they own. To qualify, owners must prove that the home is their primary residence.

There are two types of short-term rentals:

Vacation Home Rental: This involves renting out the entire primary home for up to 150 days per year. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) cannot be rented under this category.
Hosted Homeshare: This involves renting part of the home or a separate ADU, with the owner present during the rental. There are no limits on how many days per year a Hosted Homeshare rental can be rented.

In White Salmon, the number of short-term rentals allowed in residential zones is limited to 10% of all housing units, as determined by the Washington State Office of Financial Management. Currently, this limit is set at 122 short-term rentals, based on the total of 1,214 housing units, with available slots still open.

Short-term Rentals in Commercial Zones

There is no limit on how many short-term rentals a property owner can operate in a commercial zone. However, there is a restriction on the number of rentals per property: no more than 30% of the residential units on a property in a commercial zone can be used for short-term rentals. There is no limit on the number of nights per year a short-term rental can be rented in a commercial zone.

Apply or Renew Online

NEW Short-term Rental Customer Portal: Whitesalmonwa-self.govplatform.com/

(Legacy Permit Holders: DO NOT USE the Customer Portal. Please refer to the renewal application provided in the supporting documents and follow the instructions outlined there.)

Fees Associated with Short-term Rentals

2025 New Short-term Rental Fee: $325.00

$175.00 Permit Fee per Rental
$75.00 Land Use Permit Fee
$75.00 Application fee per Application (Note: a single application within a commercial zone may include multiple short-term rentals)

2025 Short-term Rental Renewal Fee: $175.00

$175.00 Permit Fee per Rental

White Salmon Rental Business License: $75.00

The City mandates that homeowners renting out their property—whether for short-term or long-term—obtain a business license through the Washington Department of Revenue's Business Licensing Service at https://dor.wa.gov. The initial city license fee is $75, with a $50 fee for each subsequent renewal. Please be aware that short-term rentals are subject to a 7.5% sales tax per rental.

If you have any questions regarding short-term rentals, please contact Erika Castro Guzman, Community Development/Project Coordinator, at 509-493-1133 or Erikac@whitesalmonwa.gov