Bellingham, Washington Short-Term Rental Market
Bellingham, WA STRs averaged $167/night at 57.6% occupancy in April 2026, with 2025 full-year averages of $186 ADR and $3,022 monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Bellingham, Washington is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Bellingham market area is 66%. average monthly revenue in the Bellingham market area is $4,073. average daily rate in the Bellingham market area is $240. the top operator in the Bellingham market area is Vacationville with 42 listings. market score is 49/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the wider Bellingham market, which covers 5 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Bellingham.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Bellingham, Washington short-term rental market draws on a diverse demand base: Mount Baker ski and alpine recreation, San Juan Islands ferry access, cross-border traffic from British Columbia, and steady day-tripper and weekend-getaway traffic from the Seattle metro 90 miles south. Whatcom County attracted nearly 3.5 million visitors in 2024. As of April 2026, the market recorded an average daily rate of $167, occupancy of 57.6%, and RevPAR of $96.38, with average monthly revenue of $2,651.
The active listing base totals approximately 1,463 units, a relatively compact market by Pacific Northwest standards. Bedroom distribution: 600 1-bedroom units, 419 2-bedroom, 292 3-bedroom, 115 4-bedroom, and 37 5-bedroom-plus. Entire-place listings account for 1,312 units; 153 are private-room listings. By channel, 779 listings are Airbnb-exclusive, 586 appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, and 100 are VRBO-only.
Year-over-year in April 2026, occupancy fell 10.7 percentage points while ADR rose 4.1% and revenue declined 3.5% versus the prior April. For full-year 2025, the market averaged 58.6% occupancy and $186 ADR, producing $3,022 average monthly revenue. The market’s rental demand score of 74.4 out of 100 reflects steady visitor volume, while the total market score of 49.0 indicates the combination of elevated home prices and moderate revenue makes the investability calculation tighter than in lower-cost markets.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 46% |
| Feb | 55% |
| Mar | 59% |
| Apr | 64% |
| May | 61% |
| Jun | 68% |
| Jul | 76% |
| Aug | 75% |
| Sep | 62% |
| Oct | 55% |
| Nov | 53% |
| Dec | 56% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Bellingham are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Bellingham market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Bellingham market as a whole, which includes Bellingham, so these counts are not Bellingham-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacationville | 42 | 969 | ★ 4.79 |
| 2 | Evolve | 30 | 1,208 | ★ 4.78 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 30 | 1,267 | ★ 4.50 |
| 4 | WorldMark | 28 | 194 | ★ 4.70 |
| 5 | Stay & Sea | 27 | 1,044 | ★ 4.93 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Bellingham?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Bellingham 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 | 53.2% |
| vrbo | 6.8% |
| both | 40% |
Home Value Trends (Bellingham)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Bellingham 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 Bellingham — 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
Bellingham requires a Vacation Rental Permit under city municipal code before operating any STR. Three permit types apply based on zone and unit configuration. Type I ($370 initial fee) covers primary-residence STRs up to 2 bedrooms in residential or commercial zones. Type II ($550) covers primary-residence STRs up to 5 bedrooms in commercial or urban-village zones. Type III-A ($847) covers non-primary-residence STRs up to 5 bedrooms in commercial or urban-village zones only. Permit renewal costs $250 due before January 1 of every even-numbered year (biennial). Operators must also hold a city business license.
In residential zones, the dwelling must be the operator’s primary residence for at least 270 days per year. Whole-unit rentals in residential zones are capped at 95 nights per year. Each operator is limited to one residential-zone STR. Commercial and urban-village zones allow non-primary-residence STRs with no night cap under the Type III-A permit.
The occupancy tax rate is 11.1%. Owner-occupancy is required for residential-zone permits. STRs are prohibited in detached ADUs in single-family residential zones, industrial zones, institutional zones, Lake Whatcom Watershed Basin One areas, and shoreline areas under the city’s Shoreline Master Program.
All permits require a pre-approval city inspection, proof of $1 million liability insurance, one off-street parking space during guest stays (residential zones), and a 24/7 local contact person within one hour of Bellingham. Enforcement severity is rated moderate. As of May 2024, 135 licensed STRs were operating in the city. The city contracted Host Compliance for ongoing STR monitoring in 2024. A pending ordinance (Ord. 2025-12-035) was adopted with provisions taking effect six months after adoption.
Market Comparison
The Bellingham market’s 2025 annual average occupancy of 58.6% is slightly above the US STR median of approximately 55%. However, its 2025 ADR of $186 is below the US median of approximately $220, producing a modest RevPAR relative to the high cost of entry. This combination of above-median occupancy and below-median rate is characteristic of Pacific Northwest markets where guest demand is strong but pricing power is constrained by an abundance of regional competition.
The operator landscape is relatively fragmented given the market’s small size (1,463 listings). Vacationville leads with 42 listings and a 4.79 average rating across 969 reviews. Evolve and Vacasa each hold 30 listings (Evolve 4.78 rating; Vacasa 4.50). WorldMark operates 28 listings and Stay & Sea rounds out the top five with 27 listings and the highest local rating at 4.93.
The top five operators collectively manage 157 listings, approximately 11% of the 1,463-unit market. This is a very fragmented market where individual hosts make up the substantial majority of active supply. The combination of strict primary-residence requirements and the 95-night cap in residential zones creates a structural ceiling on how much inventory can professionalize under management companies, keeping the operator landscape fragmented.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bellingham, Washington
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