Bellevue, Washington Short-Term Rental Market
Bellevue bans whole-home STRs in detached houses; Seattle-area market ran $193 ADR, 67.2% occupancy, $3,593 monthly revenue in September 2026.
Quick Answer: Bellevue, Washington is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Seattle market area is 67%. average monthly revenue in the Seattle market area is $3,593. average daily rate in the Seattle market area is $193. the top operator in the Seattle market area is Blueground with 508 listings. market score is 51/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Seattle regional market, which includes Bellevue. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Bellevue.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Bellevue sits on the east shore of Lake Washington, nine miles from Seattle, and has a population of 154,193. The performance figures on this page describe the Seattle-area STR market, a regional series that Bellevue shares with Redmond, Renton, Issaquah, Lynnwood, Kent, Everett and Marysville, rather than data unique to Bellevue city limits. Bedroom, channel and listing-type counts and top-operator names are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Bellevue, so this profile omits them.
In September 2026 the Seattle-area STR market posted an average daily rate of $193, occupancy of 67.2% and average monthly revenue of $3,593 per listing. Compared with September 2025, ADR rose 8.5%, occupancy slipped 0.8% and revenue edged up 0.3%. Rate growth is doing nearly all of the work: higher prices are offsetting slightly softer demand.
Demand has a business and leisure mix. Bellevue welcomed roughly 2.2 million overnight visitors in 2024 and generated about $1.9 billion in economic impact, its strongest tourism year to date. Corporate and technology travel tied to Microsoft, Amazon and other Eastside employers, conventions at Meydenbauer Center, and shopping at the Bellevue Collection all feed weekday and weekend stays. The city has about 5,596 hotel rooms, with more than 3,500 downtown, so short-term rentals compete with a deep hotel supply.
Year to date, 2026 averages 65.9% occupancy, a $191 ADR and $3,477 in monthly revenue across nine months, compared with 66.7%, $172 and $3,251 for full-year 2025. Investors should read this market through its rules. Detached houses cannot be rented whole for stays under 30 days, so the legal opportunity sits in condos, apartments and planned unit developments that register with the city and stay within building caps.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 55% |
| Feb | 62% |
| Mar | 68% |
| Apr | 65% |
| May | 71% |
| Jun | 79% |
| Jul | 80% |
| Aug | 76% |
| Sep | 71% |
| Oct | 64% |
| Nov | 60% |
| Dec | 59% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Bellevue are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Seattle market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Seattle market as a whole, which includes Bellevue, so these counts are not Bellevue-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blueground | 508 | 265 | ★ 4.36 |
| 2 | Evolve | 181 | 4,933 | ★ 4.55 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 151 | 8,263 | ★ 4.47 |
| 4 | Snowball Rentals | 139 | 5,391 | ★ 4.78 |
| 5 | Vince | 132 | 12,247 | ★ 4.57 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Bellevue?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Bellevue are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 60.7% |
| vrbo | 3.8% |
| both | 35.4% |
Home Value Trends (Bellevue)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Bellevue are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Bellevue — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Bellevue regulates short-term rentals through its Land Use Code (LUC 20.20.800) rather than a dedicated STR ordinance. Short-term rentals are permitted, but a permit or registration is required, and enforcement severity is rated moderate.
An entire detached house, or a house with an ADU, cannot be used for transient lodging, meaning stays under 30 days. The only option in a detached house is renting individual rooms inside an owner-occupied home operating as a boarding house or bed and breakfast, limited to two rooms and two adults per room, under a Home Occupation Permit.
Units in condos, apartments, buildings of several units and planned unit developments in residential districts may be used for short-term stays after filing a Short-Term Stay Use Registration Notice with Development Services. Each building or development is capped at no more than five units and no more than 20% of units in short-term stay use.
Operators also need a Bellevue business license and must register and remit lodging taxes. The city levies a 5% lodging excise tax, and retail sales and use tax of roughly 10.1% to 10.3% applies to stays under 30 days, so the total tax burden on a guest stay is about 15%. Airbnb and VRBO collect Washington state and local sales tax automatically, but hosts remain responsible for city registration and the lodging tax. The profile lists no primary residence requirement for registered units. No newly adopted STR ordinance changes were confirmed for 2025 or 2026.
Market Comparison
The Seattle-area market that includes Bellevue posted 67.2% occupancy and a $193 all-listings ADR in September 2026. Entire places at $219, professionally managed listings at $239 and luxury listings at $326 all sit above the all-listings figure.
In practice the region leans on demand. Business travel, conventions and proximity to Seattle keep rooms filled. Year-over-year ADR growth of 8.5% shows rates are still climbing.
The larger difference for investors is access. Many US markets allow whole-house rentals, but Bellevue does not for detached houses, and its building caps of five units and 20% of units limit supply in condos and apartments. That constraint helps protect occupancy for registered operators. Top operator names are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Bellevue, so this profile omits them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bellevue, Washington
Are short-term rentals legal in Bellevue, Washington?
How many units in a building can be used as short-term rentals in Bellevue?
What is the average Airbnb occupancy and daily rate in the Bellevue area?
What taxes apply to short-term stays in Bellevue?
When is the best season for short-term rentals in Bellevue?
How much does a home cost in Bellevue for an STR investor?
How far ahead do guests book and how long do they stay?
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