Short-Term Rental Management in Ocean Shores
Ocean Shores permits short-term rentals only in commercial zoning districts — which rules out most of the residential beach houses owners assume they can rent nightly.
- Permitting authority
- City of Ocean Shores
- From our office
- about 5 hours from Kennewick
- Managed by
- Brendan Burke, licensed WA broker
What City of Ocean Shores actually requires
- Short-term rentals are allowed in commercial zoning districts only.
- A city business license is required per property or unit, obtained before the short-term rental permit is approved and renewed annually.
- A 5% city lodging tax applies on top of state and county lodging taxes.
- Liability insurance meeting RCW 64.37.050, the state Short-Term Rental Act minimum.
Washington's Short-Term Rental Act (RCW 64.37) sets the floor everywhere in the state: operators carry liability insurance, post required safety information, and remit lodging taxes. A standard homeowner's policy does not satisfy it.
Verified 2026-09-13 against Ocean Shores Municipal Code, Chapter 17.49 — Short-Term Rentals. Rules change — confirm before you make an offer.
Who books here
Storm-watching winters and a long summer of beach, razor clam digs and dune driving give Ocean Shores a flatter year-round curve than the inland resort markets.
Our honest read
Check the zoning before you make an offer, not after. We have seen owners buy a beach house on the assumption that nightly rental was a given and find themselves holding a long-term rental instead. If yours is in a commercial district, this is one of the better coastal markets in the state.
What we run ourselves
We are not pitching a market we have only read about. The properties below are under our management right now, and these are the figures they are on pace for this year.
Figures are full-year 2026 gross revenue the property is on pace for, before management fee, cleaning, utilities and taxes.
Common questions
Can I get a short-term rental permit in Ocean Shores right now?
Ocean Shores permits short-term rentals only in commercial zoning districts — which rules out most of the residential beach houses owners assume they can rent nightly.
What does City of Ocean Shores require to operate a short-term rental?
Short-term rentals are allowed in commercial zoning districts only. A city business license is required per property or unit, obtained before the short-term rental permit is approved and renewed annually. A 5% city lodging tax applies on top of state and county lodging taxes. Liability insurance meeting RCW 64.37.050, the state Short-Term Rental Act minimum.
You are based in Kennewick. How do you manage a property in Ocean Shores?
We run Ocean Shores properties from our Tri-Cities office with a contracted local cleaning and maintenance bench in market. Guest communication, pricing, listing management and compliance filings are handled by us directly; turnovers, repairs and any requirement for an on-call local contact are covered by the in-market vendors we hire and supervise. About 5 hours from Kennewick, so we are on site when a property genuinely needs us.
What insurance does a short-term rental need in Washington?
Washington's Short-Term Rental Act (RCW 64.37) sets the floor everywhere in the state: operators carry liability insurance, post required safety information, and remit lodging taxes. A standard homeowner's policy does not satisfy it.
What would your Ocean Shores property earn?
Send the address and we will come back with a realistic revenue range, the permit position in City of Ocean Shores, and what it costs to manage.
Other markets we manage
- Desert Aire & Crescent Bar— Permitted with conditions
- Lake Chelan— Permits available now
- Leavenworth & Plain— Closed to new permits
- San Juan Islands— Closed to new permits
- Port Townsend & Jefferson County— Permitted with conditions
- Whidbey Island— Permitted with conditions
- Long Beach Peninsula— Permitted with conditions
- Westport— Permitted with conditions