Can I apply for a short term rental permit in Leavenworth?
Can I apply for a short term rental permit in Leavenworth?
Chelan County requires permits for those homeowners looking to rent their home as a vacation rental (STR) for periods shorter than 30 days. The permit costs $500 and needs to be renewed annually.
When does Chelan County accept new Short Term Rental permit applications?
Permit applications for Chelan County short term rentals are accepted each year between June 1 and July 31st.
Is there a limit on the number of vacation rentals in Leavenworth?
There is a cap on the total number of Short Term Rentals allowed in each zone. For most zones, the number of short term rentals is capped at 6% of the current housing stock.
In the Leavenworth, Lake Wenatchee, and Plain areas, existing vacation rentals were “grandfathered” into the code which means that there are more rental properties than the code allows.
In 2023, the Leavenworth zip code had 120 more vacation rentals than the caps allow for. This includes 59 in unincorporated Leavenworth, 37 at Lake Wenatchee, and 24 in Plain.
If you want to apply for a new STR permit for a vacation rental in Leavenworth, Lake Wenatchee or Plain, you won’t be able to do so in 2023. Looking at the current numbers, it might be a few years.
What are my options if I can’t apply for an STR permit in Leavenworth?
In the Leavenworth zip code, your best bet is to buy an existing vacation rental that has a transferable Chelan County STR permit or purchase a condo in the city limits of Leavenworth in a commercially zoned area.
If you are considering starting a new vacation rental in other parts of Chelan County, there are permits available. There are 13 permits available in the Peshastin zip code and 100 permits available in Cashmere.
