Short-Term Rentals in Kirkland

No. You can still do long-term rentals at the property, however.

Short term rentals are not limited by the City as long as you continuously live at the residence, and provided you have no more than two short-term rentals at your home at any one time.

Yes, if you (or an authorized agent) live at the property for at least 245 days, but not continuously, you may undertake short-term rentals for up to a maximum of 120 days each year. Whenever you and/or your authorized agent are absent from the property, however, you need to have identified a property manager (located within 15 miles of your home) to both the City and your short-terms renters in case issues come up in your absence.

Yes, after first obtaining State of Washington and City of Kirkland business licenses. Beyond that, whether you can enter into short-term rentals without restriction or for no more than a total of 120 days per year depends on whether the owner or a registered agent of the owner lives at the property as his or her primary residence either continuously or for at least 245 days per year.

First, you must check to see if your condo homeowner's association allows short-term rentals. Then, if those rules do allow for short-term rentals you must obtain State of Washington and City of Kirkland business licenses. Then you must comply with the rules of your condo homeowner’s association. The City's short-term rental requirements generally do not apply in multifamily settings like condominiums.

As long as no fees or other things of value are “charged” to the occupants, no business license is required.

This can be anyone you like, but they will need to be identified on the City’s license application form. To meet the City’s occupancy requirements, and if the property is not owner occupied, the agent will need to live at the rental property as his or her primary residence either continuously or for at least 245 days per year (depending on how may days per year you want to be able to undertake short-term rentals at your property).

The first step is to register with the State of Washington Department of Revenue. Helpful information on how to do so can be found on the Department of Revenue site.

You will then need to apply for a City of Kirkland business license. For short-term rentals, you will also need to complete a short-term rental form. Information on how to apply for a City business license can be found on the Kirkland Business License page.

Yes. Anyone renting a short-term rental property is required to obtain both a State of Washington and a City of Kirkland business license.

A City of Kirkland business license is required prior to undertaking long-term or short-term rentals in Kirkland. Failure to obtain a business license or to keep your license current may result in penalty fees and possibly other sanctions. Operating a business in Kirkland without an active business license can also constitute a misdemeanor crime.

The City does not intend to collect license fees that may have accrued prior to the effective date of the Ordinance in October 2017.

Generally yes. The City's Municipal Code says that if more than one business is conducted upon or from a single premises, a separate registration and license shall be required for each separate business conducted, operated, engaged in or practiced. If your businesses are separate and distinct, you will need separate licenses for each business.

This page from the State Department of Records website summarizes how a new business or other economic enterprise can register, at what rate and when the taxes should be charged to customers, and when owners should file to pay the taxes to the state.

Here is a link to the City of Kirkland’s lodging excise code chapter (and please note it is the responsibility of the owner of a short-term rental property to ensure payment of the lodging excise tax):

Airbnb apparently takes a different strategy, and collects and sends lodging taxes on behalf of the property owner. Other short-term rental sites may not provide this service, however, which would require the owners to submit the payments themselves. In any event, owners are ultimately responsible for the payment of these taxes.

In addition to the lodging excise tax applicable to short-term rentals, the City’s business license fee (for both long-term and short-term rentals) consists of two parts: a base fee of $100 and a revenue generating regulatory license (RGRL) of $130 per employee (always a minimum of one employee). For many short-term rentals, a $230 annual fee would be charged.

If the annual gross receipts of your business are less than $20,000.00, you are eligible to pay the registration fee of $50.00, and no RGRL fee is required.

A new business is eligible for the New Business Incentive, which exempts the business from the RGRL fee for the first year of operation.

The City of Kirkland charges no Business and Occupation tax. Short-term rentals are required to pay lodging taxes to the State of Washington.

The Ordinance will be enforced primarily based on complaints submitted to the City. To initiate an investigation, the Complaint Investigation Request form at Our Kirkland Portal should be filled out completely. The City may become aware of violations in the absence of a complaint, however.

The City does plan to analyze compliance levels during the third quarter of 2018 and will reach out to owners of short-term rentals without business licenses as may be appropriate.

Depending on the facts and circumstances, business licenses can be revoked or suspended, nuisance or code enforcement actions brought, or misdemeanor charges filed.

Noise or other complaints that need an immediate response should be reported to the police by calling 9-1-1.

Complaints that do not need an immediate response should be submitted online on the Complaint Investigation Request form.

In addition to requiring your short-term renters to exercise their best efforts to avoid conflicts with neighbors, you are required to exercise your best efforts to make sure those conflicts are avoided as a condition of maintaining your business license. As the owner, you are also responsible for meeting all off-street parking and other applicable zoning and building code requirements.

The parking requirement for short-term rentals that are single family residences are the same as the requirements for a bed and breakfast house as regulated in KZC 115.65.4.j(5).

To summarize this requirement, one parking stall for each short term rental is required. If permanent residents live in the dwelling unit, two additional parking stalls are required. The parking stalls may be provided in a garage or driveway and/or as legal on-street parking immediately adjacent to the dwelling unit.

No obligations unless they are charged rent. If they do pay rent, you will need a business license. The City’s licensing requirements apply to economic activity and other sources of gain to owners.