Bed and Breakfast Establishments and Short-Term Rentals

Code Compliance Short Term RentalsWhether you have always dreamed of turning your home into a themed bed and breakfast or you’re considering listing your home on any short term rental platform such as Airbnb, VRBO, or others, there are some important things you’ll want to consider if your home is located within Washougal city limits.

Your Home

The home you list for short term rental or use to operate your bed and breakfast must be your primary residence. You must be physically on site during the rental period. You may not operate a bed and breakfast or short term rental in a second home or vacation home that is not your primary residence.

  • Up to four bedrooms may be reserved for overnight guests
  • Each bedroom can accommodate a maximum of four guests
  • If food service is provided, it must be for overnight guests only
  • Banquets, parties, weddings and meetings for guests and other nonfamily members are prohibited
  • You may remodel your home to better suit your needs
  • You may not enlarge your home except for minor bathroom and/or kitchen needs
  • Two off-street parking spaces and one additional off-street parking space for each bedroom to be rented are required
  • The additional off-street parking must be screened from view by a fully sight obscuring 6’ wood, brick, or stone fence
  • A landscape strip along the perimeter of the side and rear yards requiring live ground cover and street trees every 30’ with evergreen bushes in between is required.

The Permit

The permit required to operate a bed and breakfast, or a short term rental is a Minor Conditional Use permit. You can access the minor conditional use permit application below:

https://www.cityofwashougal.us/DocumentCenter/View/178/Conditional-Use-Permit-PDF

The Application Fee

Plan review fee for a minor conditional use permit can be found under Planning and Development application fees under Conditional Use-Minor:

 Chapter 3.90 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION FEES (codepublishing.com),

Business Licensing

Your bed and breakfast or short-term rental will require a State and City business license:

Apply for a business license | Washington Department of Revenue

You will also be required to obtain licensure through WA State Department of Health if you offer three or more lodging units to guests:

Transient Accommodations License | Washington State Department of Health

Zoning

The city may approve bed and breakfast and short term rentals in most zoning designations, provided a Minor Conditional Use Permit application is submitted to our Planning division and subsequently approved.  For your submission to be considered technically complete your application must include all required plans and descriptions noted on the application and the property must meet certain criteria.

To determine the zoning designation of your property, click on the link below, enter your address and click the search button.  The zoning designation is located on the left hand side under the property owner column.

https://gis.clark.wa.gov/gishome/property/

Expanded recommended reading:

WMC 18.46.060 Bed and breakfast establishments Chapter 18.46 SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS FOR SPECIFIC USES (codepublishing.com)

WMC 18.48.075 Buffer standards Chapter 18.48 AESTHETICS, BUFFERS, COMPATIBILITY AND LANDSCAPING STANDARDS (codepublishing.com)

WMC 18.72.025 Minor conditional use Chapter 18.72 CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS* (codepublishing.com)

WMC 18.72.030 Application submittal requirements Chapter 18.72 CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS* (codepublishing.com)

WMC 18.72.060 Criteria to consider to conditional uses Chapter 18.72 CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS* (codepublishing.com)

Washougal Municipal Code:  

https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/Washougal/