Short-Term Rental Management in Leavenworth & Plain
Unincorporated Leavenworth is over its cap — 109 permits against 105 allowed — and Plain is over by 4. Lake Wenatchee is over by 53. No new permits are being created in any of the three.
- Permitting authority
- Chelan County (unincorporated)
- From our office
- about 3 hours from Kennewick
- Managed by
- Brendan Burke, licensed WA broker
What Chelan County (unincorporated) actually requires
- Leavenworth unincorporated: 1,756 housing units, cap of 105, with 109 permits already existing as of 11 August 2026.
- Plain: 1,683 housing units, cap of 101, with 105 existing.
- Lake Wenatchee: 1,056 housing units, cap of 63, with 116 existing — the most oversubscribed area in the county.
- Because the areas sit above their caps, the annual June–July application window does not create availability until existing permits lapse.
- Tier 1 short-term rentals, commercially zoned properties and pre-established Master Planned Resorts fall outside the cap.
Washington's Short-Term Rental Act (RCW 64.37) sets the floor everywhere in the state: operators carry liability insurance, post required safety information, and remit lodging taxes. A standard homeowner's policy does not satisfy it.
Verified 2026-09-13 against Chelan County Community Development — Short-Term Rental Statistics (cap table, updated 11 Aug 2026). Rules change — confirm before you make an offer.
Who books here
The strongest year-round demand in central Washington — Oktoberfest and the Christmas lighting festival fill the winter that empties most Washington resort markets, which is precisely why the cap exists.
Our honest read
We will not tell an owner to buy a Leavenworth-area property as a short-term rental right now, because the permit they are imagining is not available. If you already hold one, that permit is the scarce asset and it deserves better management than most of these homes get. That is the work we would take here.
What we run ourselves
We are not pitching a market we have only read about. The properties below are under our management right now, and these are the figures they are on pace for this year.
Figures are full-year 2026 gross revenue the property is on pace for, before management fee, cleaning, utilities and taxes.
Common questions
Can I get a short-term rental permit in Leavenworth & Plain right now?
Unincorporated Leavenworth is over its cap — 109 permits against 105 allowed — and Plain is over by 4. Lake Wenatchee is over by 53. No new permits are being created in any of the three.
What does Chelan County (unincorporated) require to operate a short-term rental?
Leavenworth unincorporated: 1,756 housing units, cap of 105, with 109 permits already existing as of 11 August 2026. Plain: 1,683 housing units, cap of 101, with 105 existing. Lake Wenatchee: 1,056 housing units, cap of 63, with 116 existing — the most oversubscribed area in the county. Because the areas sit above their caps, the annual June–July application window does not create availability until existing permits lapse. Tier 1 short-term rentals, commercially zoned properties and pre-established Master Planned Resorts fall outside the cap.
You are based in Kennewick. How do you manage a property in Leavenworth & Plain?
We run Leavenworth & Plain properties from our Tri-Cities office with a contracted local cleaning and maintenance bench in market. Guest communication, pricing, listing management and compliance filings are handled by us directly; turnovers, repairs and any requirement for an on-call local contact are covered by the in-market vendors we hire and supervise. About 3 hours from Kennewick, so we are on site when a property genuinely needs us.
What insurance does a short-term rental need in Washington?
Washington's Short-Term Rental Act (RCW 64.37) sets the floor everywhere in the state: operators carry liability insurance, post required safety information, and remit lodging taxes. A standard homeowner's policy does not satisfy it.
What would your Leavenworth & Plain property earn?
Send the address and we will come back with a realistic revenue range, the permit position in Chelan County (unincorporated), and what it costs to manage.
Other markets we manage
- Desert Aire & Crescent Bar— Permitted with conditions
- Lake Chelan— Permits available now
- San Juan Islands— Closed to new permits
- Ocean Shores— Permitted with conditions
- Port Townsend & Jefferson County— Permitted with conditions
- Whidbey Island— Permitted with conditions
- Long Beach Peninsula— Permitted with conditions
- Westport— Permitted with conditions