Tacoma, Washington Short-Term Rental Market
Tacoma, WA allows whole-home STRs with no owner-occupancy requirement, unlike Seattle. June 2026 ADR was $205.
Quick Answer: Tacoma, Washington is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Tacoma/Olympia market area is 73%. average monthly revenue in the Tacoma/Olympia market area is $3,834. average daily rate in the Tacoma/Olympia market area is $205. the top operator in the Tacoma/Olympia market area is Evolve with 103 listings. market score is 61/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Tacoma/Olympia regional market, which includes Tacoma. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Tacoma.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Tacoma is relatively accommodating to short-term rentals compared with nearby Seattle: whole-dwelling and ADU STRs are allowed in all Residential, Commercial, Mixed-Use, and Downtown districts with no owner-occupancy requirement. Renting individual rooms works differently and requires the owner to live on-site: 1-2 rooms need no permit, while 3-9 rooms require a Conditional Use Permit in specified multi-family residential zones. Every STR needs a City of Tacoma Business License (about $104/year), and a separate Transient Accommodation License is required to rent 3 or more individual rooms.
Tacoma is a Pacific Northwest port city on Puget Sound, about 35 miles south of Seattle, population 228,187, and the tourism hub of Pierce County, drawing arts and culture visitors (Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum, LeMay-America’s Car Museum) and day-trippers using it as a gateway to Mount Rainier National Park.
StaySTRA tracks Tacoma’s ADR, occupancy, and revenue at a shared regional level with Auburn, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, Olympia, and Puyallup, spanning Pierce, King, and Thurston counties, so the figures below describe the South Puget Sound area STR market. Worth noting: Auburn, Enumclaw, and Federal Way sit in King County, where Seattle and unincorporated King County apply different, often stricter STR rules than Tacoma’s own, while Gig Harbor and Puyallup are Pierce County like Tacoma, and Olympia is Thurston County, the state capital; each city’s own local ordinance can differ even though this performance series is shared. In June 2026, the South Puget Sound area STR market posted a blended ADR of $204.63 and 73.3% occupancy, with average monthly revenue of $3,834/listing. Revenue is up 7.99% year over year, while occupancy is down 2.13 percentage points and ADR is down 1.07%.
Bedroom mix, listing-type breakdown, and the top-property-manager list are tracked at the same shared regional level rather than uniquely for Tacoma, so this profile omits those breakdowns.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 55% |
| Feb | 61% |
| Mar | 62% |
| Apr | 62% |
| May | 67% |
| Jun | 75% |
| Jul | 77% |
| Aug | 75% |
| Sep | 67% |
| Oct | 59% |
| Nov | 58% |
| Dec | 59% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Tacoma are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Tacoma/Olympia market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Tacoma/Olympia market as a whole, which includes Tacoma, so these counts are not Tacoma-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 103 | 4,812 | ★ 4.73 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 65 | 2,033 | ★ 4.63 |
| 3 | Amera Property Management | 25 | 641 | ★ 4.89 |
| 4 | Tip Top Management | 19 | 2,260 | ★ 4.87 |
| 5 | Blizzard Realty | 13 | 228 | ★ 4.75 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Tacoma?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Tacoma 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 | 58.3% |
| vrbo | 4.2% |
| both | 37.5% |
Home Value Trends (Tacoma)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Tacoma 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 Tacoma — 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
Short-term rentals (stays under 30 days) are legal and relatively accommodating in Tacoma. Operators must hold a City of Tacoma Business License from the Tax & License Office, renewed annually (reported at about $104/unit per year). A separate Transient Accommodation License is required to rent three or more individual rooms.
Whole-home and ADU rentals are permitted in all Residential, Commercial, Mixed-Use, and Downtown districts with no owner-occupancy requirement, making Tacoma more investor-friendly than Seattle. If instead renting individual rooms within an occupied home, the owner must live on-site: 1-2 rooms need no permit; 3-9 rooms require a Conditional Use Permit in specified multi-family residential zones (R-3, R-4L, R-4, R-5, RCX, NRX), though allowed by right in Commercial, Mixed-Use, and Downtown districts. There is no citywide cap on nights per year.
Safety compliance is mandatory: working smoke and CO detectors and posted safety signage showing exits, extinguishers, and shut-offs. Hosts must register with the WA Department of Revenue and collect and remit lodging taxes: a 7% Tacoma Convention Center tax on top of the general combined sales tax of roughly 10.4-10.5% (6.5% state plus about 4.0% local), for a combined percentage tax burden of roughly 17.4-17.5%, plus a possible flat $2-per-night Tourism Promotion Area charge where applicable. Enforcement is complaint-driven with an escalating fine schedule (about $250 for a second violation, $500 for a third, up to $1,000 per incident for four or more), plus possible license suspension or revocation. Enforcement is rated moderate. Washington HB 2559 proposes a new 4% state STR tax phasing in around 2027, which would raise Tacoma’s effective STR tax if enacted; investors should verify current status.
Market Comparison
The South Puget Sound area STR market’s June 2026 occupancy of 73.3% runs well above the commonly cited US STR median of roughly 55%, while its $204.63 blended ADR sits below the roughly $220 US median, a higher-occupancy, value-rate profile.
Top-property-manager data is not currently published uniquely for Tacoma in this snapshot (tracked at a shared regional level with Auburn, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, Olympia, and Puyallup instead), so this profile omits a named-operator comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tacoma, Washington
Does Tacoma, WA require owner-occupancy for short-term rentals?
What license does a Tacoma short-term rental need?
What is the average daily rate for short-term rentals in Tacoma, WA?
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Tacoma?
What is the gross yield on a Tacoma short-term rental?
Do Tacoma's STR rules apply to nearby King County towns like Auburn or Federal Way?
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