Vacation Rental Management
Vacation Rental Management in Cle Elum, WA
From Suncadia's fairways to the cabins along the Cle Elum River, Fairly manages Cle Elum vacation rentals with a local caretaker as your single point of contact, dynamic pricing, guest messaging, listings on Airbnb, Vrbo and Fairly.com, and Washington's lodging taxes collected and remitted on every booking.
4.8
Average review in Cle Elum, WA
Fairly is an Airbnb Superhost, and our homes average 4.84 stars across 21,000+ guest reviews. 96% of our reviews are four stars or better. Better reviews attract better guests, at higher prices, maximizing your revenue.
What our guests say
Cle Elum market overview
Cle Elum sits on I-90 at the eastern foot of the Cascades, under two hours from Seattle, and most of the homes that rent under its name are not in the old mining town at all. They are in Suncadia, the resort community of golf courses, trails and river frontage just west of town, and on the forested land along the Cle Elum River and toward the Teanaway Community Forest.
Summer carries the year. July is the peak, with the area's top-rated homes around 60% occupied at the year's highest nightly rates, and June and August close behind as Seattle families come for the river, the trails and the golf. December is a real second season, near 44% occupied as the holidays and snow arrive, and January holds up well. The quiet months are March and April, when the snow is going and the trails are not yet open, with occupancy below 20%.
What homes earn in Cle Elum, WA
The chart above follows entire-home rentals addressed to Cle Elum, Suncadia included, that are listed on Airbnb and Vrbo, hold a guest review score of 4.8 or better, and are available or rented at least 300 days a year. Those are the homes run as year-round businesses, and the chart shows what they earn month by month, from the summer peak to the spring lull. You can customize a projection for a specific home.
| Month | Total rent | Occupancy | Avg. daily rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | $5,659 | 35% | $633 |
| Feb | $3,820 | 30% | $593 |
| Mar | $1,604 | 16% | $539 |
| Apr | $1,911 | 18% | $497 |
| May | $3,926 | 29% | $585 |
| Jun | $6,977 | 44% | $674 |
| Jul | $11,784 | 60% | $742 |
| Aug | $9,472 | 53% | $730 |
| Sep | $5,384 | 37% | $592 |
| Oct | $3,353 | 26% | $568 |
| Nov | $3,971 | 28% | $603 |
| Dec | $7,495 | 45% | $661 |
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This is based on properties listed on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com with an average review score of 4.8 out of 5 or higher, limited to homes available or rented at least 300 days a year. Earnings vary based on the unique amenities and qualities of each home.
A guaranteed $5,000 increase in earnings
We guarantee that homeowners coming from self management or other managers will make an extra $5,000 in their first year with Fairly.
Vacation Rental Taxes and Regulations in Cle Elum, WA
Most Cle Elum rentals are in unincorporated Kittitas County
Short-term rentals are allowed here. Suncadia and most of the homes addressed to Cle Elum sit outside the city limits, in unincorporated Kittitas County, so county rules and Washington state law govern them. Kittitas County's code contains no short-term rental permit today. Community Development Services has drafted short-term rental regulations, including an annual permit, which are going through the county's public review, so a county permit may follow.
Inside the City of Cle Elum
Homes inside the City of Cle Elum limits need a city short-term rental permit, renewed each calendar year, and a city business license. The city allows rentals in its commercial and residential zones, keeps rentals in residential zones at least 250 feet apart, limits one host to three rentals, and requires a building inspection, two off-street parking spaces, and a local contact who answers around the clock and responds within sixty minutes. Your Fairly caretaker lives nearby and can serve as that local contact. A city permit ends when the home is sold.
Suncadia
Suncadia's residential owners association requires owners who rent for under thirty days to register the home with the association, giving a 24/7 contact for the owner or the rental manager, and holds guests to the community's rules.
Lodging taxes
Stays under thirty nights carry Washington retail sales tax (the 6.5% state rate plus Kittitas County's local sales tax) plus the hotel/motel tax of the jurisdiction the home is in: Kittitas County's special hotel/motel tax outside the city, or Cle Elum's room tax inside it. All of it goes on one Department of Revenue excise return, which requires a Washington business licence and UBI number.
State rules
Washington's short-term rental law requires at least one million dollars of primary liability insurance, carbon monoxide alarms, a contact guests can reach during their stay, and a posted notice with the address, emergency numbers, a floor plan showing exits, the maximum occupancy and the operator's contact details.
How Fairly handles it
We register your home for Washington's lodging taxes and collect and remit them on every booking. We assist with the state business licence, the Suncadia registration, and the city permit where it applies.
Operating a vacation rental in Cle Elum, WA
Running a home here means two different seasons. Summer brings back-to-back weekly stays and fast Saturday turnovers, with hot tubs, decks and barbecues to keep guest-ready. Winter brings snow on long driveways and steep forest roads, so plowing, de-icing and a check on the heat and pipes after every cold snap are part of the job.
Suncadia adds its own layer: the association holds rental guests to its Guest Rules & Regulations and quiet hours, and it expects a reachable contact when something goes wrong. Your Fairly caretaker lives nearby and can be that contact, handling turnovers and walkthroughs personally and catching problems before a guest does. You keep final say over your home and can change caretakers whenever you want.
Frequently asked questions
A flat 20% commission on rental revenue, paid only when the home books, with no long-term contract and no hidden fees. That covers listings on Airbnb, Vrbo and Fairly.com, pricing, guest messaging, and collecting and remitting Washington's lodging taxes. Your caretaker earns the cleaning fee guests pay plus a share of Fairly's commission.
Yes. Suncadia and most Cle Elum-addressed homes are in unincorporated Kittitas County, which has no short-term rental permit today, though draft county rules are under review. Suncadia owners register the rental with the association. Inside Cle Elum's city limits you need a city short-term rental permit and business license, with 250-foot spacing in residential zones.
Washington retail sales tax (the 6.5% state rate plus Kittitas County's local sales tax) and a lodging tax on top: the county's special hotel/motel tax outside the city, or Cle Elum's room tax inside it. Everything is reported on one Washington Department of Revenue excise return, and Fairly collects and remits it on every booking.
July is the peak, with the area's top homes around 60% occupied at the year's highest rates, and June and August close behind. December is a strong second season near 44%, helped by the holidays and snow. March and April are the quiet stretch, below 20%, before the trails and lake open up.
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Fairly Vacation Rental Management
Serving Cle Elum, WA and neighboring areas
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