BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — Short-term rentals on Bainbridge Island may not advertise more bedrooms than Kitsap County property records show, under changes to the city’s rental rules the City Council adopted Oct. 27.
Councilmember Lara Lant added the bedroom limit as an amendment. She said the language came out of talks among local vacation rental owners, the Innkeepers Association and city staff. The amendment passed 7-0, and the council then adopted the amended ordinance 7-0.
Ordinance 2026-03 makes what staff called targeted, technical changes to the short-term rental code the city adopted in 2024, which took effect Sept. 30, 2024. According to the staff report, the changes clarify what counts as a short-term rental, update penalties and enforcement so staff can better act on violations, and streamline registration by removing the annual registration process.
Staff met with the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce and the Innkeepers Forum, which helped draft the original code, and both supported the changes, according to the staff report. The report said several residents also asked the city to strengthen penalties and enforcement.
The ordinance takes effect five days after it is published. The rules are in Chapter 5.38 of the Bainbridge Island Municipal Code.
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