Overview and Bottom Line

• Are short-term rentals allowed in Sammamish, WA? Yes. As of September 2025, the City of Sammamish has not adopted municipal or county-specific short-term rental (STR) regulations. The city allows STRs to operate within its limits. Washington State provides the governing framework for STRs, covering definitions, taxation, consumer safety, platform obligations, and insurance. [Guestable]
• What you must do: comply with Washington State STR rules; confirm zoning/use with the City; register for state business/tax accounts; collect and remit Washington sales tax and lodging tax (transient occupancy tax) at the combined Sammamish rate; and maintain primary liability insurance of at least $1,000,000. [RCW 64.37; Guestable]
• Local authority for questions: City of Sammamish Permit Center and Community Development (zoning/land use), and Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR) for tax registration and filing. [City site; RCW 64.37]

How to Start a Short-Term Rental Business in Sammamish

1. Confirm zoning and land use

• Before listing, verify that STR use is permitted at your property’s location and zoning category. Contact the City of Sammamish Permit Center to confirm whether a short-term rental is an allowed use and whether any permits or approvals are needed for the specific property. [City site]
• If you live in a community with covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs), obtain written confirmation from your homeowners’ association that STRs are permitted.

2. Register for Washington State business and tax accounts

• Register with the Washington Department of Revenue to obtain a tax registration/ubusiness license and set up your tax reporting accounts. [RCW 64.37]
• Set up systems to collect and remit:
  • Retail sales tax (currently 6.5% state rate).
  • Lodging/transient occupancy taxes that apply in Sammamish. The combined 2025 sales tax rate is 10.2% (state 6.5% + Sammamish 3.7%). Collect the lodging portion and remit as required by DOR. [Guestable]

3. Secure insurance

• Maintain primary liability insurance covering the STR in the aggregate of at least $1,000,000, or conduct each transaction through a platform that provides equal or greater primary liability coverage. [RCW 64.37.050]

4. Publish required consumer safety information

• Post the following in a conspicuous place inside each STR unit:
  • STR street address.
  • Emergency contact information for police, fire, and emergency medical services.
  • Floor plan indicating fire exits and escape routes.
  • Maximum occupancy limits.
  • Contact information for the operator or designated contact.
• Provide a contact (operator or representative) to guests who can respond to inquiries during the stay. [RCW 64.37.030]

5. List and operate

• List your property on platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.). Under Washington law, platforms must be registered with DOR and must inform operators of tax and safety obligations; many platforms also collect and remit taxes on operators’ behalf. Confirm whether your platform handles lodging/sales tax collection and reporting for Sammamish, or do it yourself. [RCW 64.37.040; RCW 64.37.020]

Required Documents, Permits, Licenses, and Guidelines

• Washington State tax registration (Department of Revenue “UBusiness License”).
• Liability insurance: minimum $1,000,000 primary liability coverage, or platform-provided coverage of equal or greater amount. [RCW 64.37.050]
• Consumer safety postings and emergency/occupancy information inside the unit. [RCW 64.37.030]
• Platform registration (for platforms) and adherence to platform requirements (registration, operator notices on taxes and safety). [RCW 64.37.040]
• Zoning confirmation from the City of Sammamish (no city-specific STR license is documented; confirm whether any building or use permits are required for your property’s intended use). [City site]
• Interior compliance items: ensure carbon monoxide alarms are installed per state building code requirements referenced in RCW 64.37.030. [RCW 64.37.030]
• Records retention: maintain documentation of tax collection/remittance, insurance, guest communications, and any city correspondence. [RCW 64.37]

Note on licensing: sources indicate no Sammamish-specific STR license exists as of September 2025. Operate under state law and confirm zoning and any general business licensing requirements with the City’s Permit Center. [Guestable; City site]

Specific Regulations: City, County, and State

• City of Sammamish: No municipal or county-specific STR regulations have been adopted as of September 2025. Confirm local zoning/use approvals directly with the City. [Guestable; City site]
• State of Washington (RCW 64.37):
  • Definitions: “Short-term rental” is a lodging use (not a hotel/motel/bed-and-breakfast) where a dwelling unit or portion is offered to a guest for fewer than 30 consecutive nights; owner-occupied units occupied at least six months per year and renting fewer than three rooms at a time are excluded from the definition. [RCW 64.37.010]
  • Taxes: Operators must remit all applicable local, state, and federal taxes; platforms may collect and remit on behalf of operators. [RCW 64.37.020]
  • Consumer safety: Operators must provide contact information, carbon monoxide compliance, and post address, emergency contacts, fire exit/escape routes, occupancy limits, and operator contact inside the unit; platforms must provide operators with a summary of safety requirements. First violation triggers a warning; subsequent violations are a civil infraction. [RCW 64.37.030]
  • Platforms: Must register with the Department of Revenue and inform operators about tax and safety responsibilities and potential gaps in personal homeowners’ insurance for STR use. [RCW 64.37.040]
  • Insurance: Maintain $1,000,000 in primary liability coverage or use a platform that provides equal or greater coverage. [RCW 64.37.050]

Tax context for Sammamish

• Combined sales tax rate: 10.2% (state 6.5% + Sammamish 3.7%). Operators must collect and remit applicable lodging/transient occupancy taxes and retail sales tax on STR stays under 30 nights. Rentals of 30 or more consecutive nights are not classified as STRs and have different tax treatment under state law. [Guestable; RCW 64.37.010; RCW 64.37.020]

Local Authority Contacts and Resources

• City of Sammamish — Permit Center

  • Phone: (425) 295-0531
  • Email: permittech@sammamish.us
  • Hours: Monday and Friday 9:00 am–12:00 pm; Wednesday 1:00 pm–4:00 pm
  • Address: 801 228th Avenue SE, Sammamish, WA 98075
  • General City Hall: (425) 295-0500; Monday–Friday 8:30 am–5:00 pm
  • Website: www.sammamish.us [City site]

• Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR)

  • Website: dor.wa.gov
  • STR guidance: Lodging and transient occupancy (lodging) taxes for short-term rentals [RCW 64.37.020]
  • Small business B&O tax credit information (filing support) [Guestable]

• For legislative information or questions about RCW 64.37:

  • Washington State Legislature
  • Phone: (800) 562-6000
  • TTY: (800) 833-6388

Note on after-hours City public works dispatch: (425) 295-0700 (for utility or public safety issues; not STR-specific). [City site]

Source Links and Citation Notes

• City of Sammamish official contact and permitting information: www.sammamish.us/government/clerk/show-prr/?prrid=14756 [City site]
• City of Sammamish regulations portal (ordinances, resolutions, municipal code): www.sammamish.us/i-want-to/regulations/ [City site]
• Washington State STR statutes (RCW 64.37): app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.37&full=true [RCW 64.37]
• Guestable summary on Sammamish STR status and tax rates (Sept 2025): www.guestable.com/blog/short-term-rental-regulations-in-the-city-of-sammamish/ [Guestable]

This guide reflects the information provided and Washington State law as of September 2025. Because Sammamish has not adopted city-specific STR rules, investors should rely on state statutes and coordinate with the City Permit Center to confirm zoning/use and any general permitting requirements specific to their property.