Independent rules research
Short-term rental rules, monitored for you.
Sourced rules for US short-term rental markets, linked to official documents wherever possible and watched for changes, so a council vote or a new state law doesn't catch you by surprise.
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Each page gives the short answer first, then every rule with its source and a dated change history. More markets are being researched now.
Austin, TXAllowed with a licenseShort-term rentals are allowed across Austin with a City operator license, whether or not you live in the home. Since October 2025 one person can run up to two STRs on a site, and more only on sites at least 1,000 feet apart; since July 2026 platforms must show license numbers and remove unlicensed listings.See the rulesWatch this market
Nashville, TNAllowed with limitsShort-term rentals are allowed in Nashville with an annual Metro Codes permit. If you live in the home, you can get a permit in most zones. If you don't, new permits are only available in certain commercial and mixed-use zones, not in residential zones.See the rulesWatch this market
New Orleans, LAAllowed, but tightly cappedNew Orleans allows short-term rentals, but tightly: residential (non-commercial) permits are owner-occupied only and capped at one per square block with no exceptions, while commercial permits are limited to certain zoning districts. The French Quarter and Garden District are largely off-limits.See the rulesWatch this market
Denver, COPrimary residence onlyDenver only allows short-term rentals in the host's primary residence — investor-owned second homes and non-owner-occupied units cannot be licensed. A city business license, a lodger's tax account, and $1 million in liability insurance are required.See the rulesWatch this market
Scottsdale, AZAllowed, with strict licensing & enforcementShort-term rentals are allowed across Scottsdale under Arizona's strong state preemption law, but the city runs one of the strictest local enforcement regimes in the country: a mandatory $250 annual license, a $500,000 insurance minimum, a sex-offender background check, neighbor notification, and steep escalating fines (up to $3,500 per violation) for nuisance and unpermitted-event violations.See the rulesWatch this market
Gatlinburg, TNAllowed in most zones, permit + inspection requiredShort-term rentals are a mainstay of the Gatlinburg/Smoky Mountains economy and are allowed in most of the city and unincorporated Sevier County, but two rules trip people up: Gatlinburg bans new short-term rentals in its R-1A and R-2A residential zones, and unincorporated Sevier County (outside any city) now requires its own separate annual permit and fire-safety inspection, on top of whatever the city requires inside its limits.See the rulesWatch this market
Destin, FLAllowed, in designated zones — registration requiredShort-term rentals are core to Destin's economy and are allowed, but single-family homes and townhomes must sit in one of eight designated mixed-use/resort zoning districts to legally register — condos are exempt from that zoning rule but still need a state DBPR license. On top of city registration, owners face strict occupancy caps, mandatory parking, a 24/7 local contact requirement, and escalating late fees and penalties for non-compliance.See the rulesWatch this market
Palm Springs, CAAllowed, but capped by neighborhood and annual contract limitsShort-term rentals are legal in Palm Springs but tightly capped: no more than 20% of residential dwelling units in any organized neighborhood may hold a standard vacation rental certificate, and standard permit-holders face annual limits on how many separate rental contracts they can book. Homesharing (owner present) and a lower-fee, lower-volume Junior certificate offer easier paths in capped neighborhoods.See the rulesWatch this market
Asheville, NCEffectively owner-occupied only — whole-home rentals banned outside the Resort zoning districtAsheville effectively limits short-term rentals to "homestays": a permitted homeowner living on-site full-time may rent one or two bedrooms for stays under 30 days, anywhere in a residential zone. Renting an entire home or unit short-term (a "short-term vacation rental") is banned citywide except in the small Resort zoning district, making whole-home Airbnb-style rentals effectively off-limits across nearly all of Asheville.See the rulesWatch this market
Savannah, GAAllowed only in a designated overlay district, and non-owner-occupied permits in the historic core are effectively fullShort-term vacation rentals (STVRs) are allowed only within a designated overlay district covering the Downtown, Victorian, and Streetcar historic districts plus a handful of business and agricultural zones. Non-owner-occupied rentals in the Downtown and Victorian historic districts are capped at 20% of residential parcels per ward, and as of 2026 every ward in those districts has reached its cap, leaving only a waitlist for new non-owner-occupied certificates.See the rulesWatch this market
Los Angeles, CAAllowed citywide, but only in the host's primary residence — no investor-only unitsShort-term rentals are allowed citywide under the Home-Sharing Ordinance, but only in a host's primary residence — investor-owned, non-owner-occupied units are not eligible. Standard registration caps hosting at 120 days a year unless a host obtains an Extended Home-Sharing registration.See the rulesWatch this market
San Diego, CAAllowed under a 4-tier license system; whole-home (non-hosted) licenses are capped and the caps are effectively fullSan Diego uses a four-tier Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) licensing system. Whole-home rentals without an on-site host (Tier 3) are capped citywide at 1% of housing units, and a separate, harder-capped Tier 4 exists just for Mission Beach — both caps are effectively full, so new whole-home licenses largely depend on the resale/waitlist market or a lottery.See the rulesWatch this market
San Francisco, CAAllowed only for permanent residents in their own unit; entire-home (un-hosted) stays capped at 90 nights/yearShort-term rentals are allowed only for permanent San Francisco residents renting out the unit they actually live in. Hosted stays (host present overnight) have no annual night limit, but un-hosted, entire-home stays are capped at 90 nights per calendar year, and a host may only offer one unit.See the rulesWatch this market
South Lake Tahoe, CAAllowed in the Tourist Core with no cap; Residential zones capped at 900 permits and the cap is already fullVacation Home Rentals (VHRs) face no cap in the Tourist Core and commercial zones, but Residential zones are capped at 900 permits under a 2026 ordinance that replaced the voter-approved Measure T ban after a court struck that ban down. The Residential-zone cap is already full — new applications there join a waitlist with no processing timeline.See the rulesWatch this market
Big Bear Lake, CAAllowed citywide with a permit; no owner-occupancy requirement and no codified permit capThe City of Big Bear Lake allows vacation rentals citywide with a permit, no owner-occupancy requirement, and no codified citywide permit cap, though renewal is required every year. Surrounding unincorporated communities (Big Bear City, Sugarloaf, Fawnskin) fall under a separate San Bernardino County short-term rental program, not this city's rules.See the rulesWatch this market
Joshua Tree, CAAllowed under the county's Mountain/Desert STR program, but capped at 1-2 permits per owner/parcel with a lengthy application and notification processJoshua Tree is unincorporated, so short-term rentals are governed entirely by San Bernardino County's countywide STR program for Mountain and Desert areas — not by any city ordinance. STRs are permitted, but capped at 2 per owner (1 per parcel under 2 acres), with a detailed application, inspection and neighbor-notification process.See the rulesWatch this market
Sedona, AZAllowed citywide under Arizona's state preemption framework, with a required city permit, emergency contact, insurance, and a ban on hosting special eventsArizona state law bars Sedona from banning or capping short-term rentals outright, but the city requires an annual STR permit per unit, a TPT license, a 24/7 emergency contact, neighbor notification, insurance, and a background check, and bans hosting special events. State law caps how much cities can charge for the permit itself.See the rulesWatch this market
Phoenix, AZAllowed citywide under Arizona's state preemption framework, with a required $250 city permit, TPT license, and certified-mail neighbor notificationLike the rest of Arizona, Phoenix cannot ban short-term rentals, but it requires a $250 city permit, a state TPT license, certified-mail neighbor notification, and (as of April 2026) proof of residence for owners renting an ADU built after September 2024. Combined lodging taxes vary by exact location within the city and should be checked against the Arizona Department of Revenue's rate tables.See the rulesWatch this market
Las Vegas, NVAllowed only in owner-occupied homes, with strict spacing and neighborhood restrictionsThe City of Las Vegas allows short-term rentals only for owner-occupied homes with a $500 annual business license, a 660-foot spacing rule between STRs, and a 2,500-foot buffer from resort hotels — plus a long list of prohibited neighborhoods (Summerlin, Skye Canyon, Town Center, and others). This is separate from unincorporated Clark County, which has its own capped, moratorium-affected permit program.See the rulesWatch this market
Park City, UTAllowed only in designated commercial/resort zones and a small capped historic-zone exception; prohibited in most residential neighborhoodsPark City allows short-term ("nightly") rentals only in specific commercial and resort-zoned areas, plus a small, capped number of properties in one historic residential zone — most residential neighborhoods (Residential Low, Rural, Estate) are off-limits entirely. Owners need a nightly rental business license, and combined state and local transient room taxes apply on top of Utah sales tax.See the rulesWatch this market
Breckenridge, COAllowed with an annual license and per-bedroom regulatory fee; new licenses are capped and waitlisted in most zones outside the resort coreBreckenridge requires an annual short-term rental license with a $756-per-bedroom regulatory fee, and manages supply through four zones (Resort, Tourism/Zone 1, Downtown Core/Zone 2, and Single Family Residential/Zone 3), each with its own license cap and waitlist. Zone 3 (single-family residential) is the most restrictive, with licenses already far exceeding the cap and multi-year waitlists for new applicants.See the rulesWatch this market
Aspen, COAllowed with a tiered permit system; new 'Classic' (investment) permits are capped and waitlisted in most residential zonesAspen requires a short-term rental permit under one of three tiers — Lodging Exempt, Owner-Occupied (capped at 120 nights/year), or Classic (unlimited nights, but capped and waitlisted by zoning district). A separate business license is required for every operator, and STR-specific excise taxes stack on top of standard sales and lodging taxes, with a much higher rate for non-owner-occupied 'Classic' rentals.See the rulesWatch this market
Steamboat Springs, COAllowed with a license; capped by zone, with new standard STRs prohibited entirely in the most restrictive zoneSteamboat Springs licenses short-term rentals under a three-zone system: unrestricted in Zone A, capped by sub-zone in Zone B (5 to 20 licenses each), and prohibited for new standard STRs in Zone C (hosted and temporary rentals still allowed there). A voter-approved 9% short-term rental tax, adopted in November 2022 to fund affordable housing, stacks on top of standard sales and accommodations taxes for a combined rate around 18.4%.See the rulesWatch this market
Portland, ORAllowed only as an accessory use in an owner- or tenant-occupied primary residence; no whole-home, non-hosted rentalsPortland allows short-term rentals only as "Accessory Short-Term Rentals" (ASTR) inside a resident's primary home, under one of two permit tiers: Type A for 1-2 bedrooms with a streamlined process, and Type B for 3-5 bedrooms requiring a Conditional Use Review. The owner or long-term tenant must occupy the home at least 270 days a year, and renting a whole home with no resident present is not permitted. Combined lodging taxes and fees run to roughly 11.5% plus a separate 3% tourism district fee and a nightly per-booking fee.See the rulesWatch this market
Seattle, WAAllowed with a license, capped at two units per operator, with at least one unit as the operator's primary residenceSeattle requires a Short-Term Rental Operator's License plus a Business License Tax Certificate under Seattle Municipal Code 6.600, effective since 2019. Operators are limited to two dwelling units, with at least one serving as their primary residence (lived in more than six months a year); rented rooms without a separate kitchen or bathroom don't count toward that cap. Non-primary dedicated units must also register under the Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance (RRIO). Combined guest-facing taxes run to roughly 23.6% when state sales tax, Seattle lodging tax, and the King County Convention and Trade Center tax are stacked together.See the rulesWatch this market
Honolulu (Oahu), HIBanned outside resort zones and legacy permits; 30-day minimum stay applies everywhere elseShort-term rentals on Oahu are legal only in a handful of narrow categories: resort-zoned properties (Waikiki, Ko Olina, Turtle Bay) that register under Ordinance 22-7 (Bill 41), properties holding a pre-1986 Nonconforming Use Certificate (NUC), grandfathered hotel/timeshare buildings, and specific Bill 41 exemption areas. Outside those categories, the citywide minimum stay is 30 consecutive days, and unregistered properties must display that minimum in their advertising. Combined transient accommodations and excise taxes run to roughly 18-18.5% of gross rental income, and penalties for illegal short-term rentals can reach $10,000 per day for repeated violations under Bill 62.See the rulesWatch this market
Maui County, HIExisting apartment-zoned vacation rentals are being phased out entirely by 2029-2031; hotel/resort-zoned units and separately permitted B&Bs/STR homes remain allowedMaui County enacted Bill 9 in December 2025, the largest short-term rental phase-out in U.S. history: it eliminates the 'Minatoya List' nonconforming-use exemption that let roughly 6,208 apartment-zoned units operate as vacation rentals. West Maui units (Lahaina, Ka'anapali, Honokowai, Kahana, Kapalua) must stop operating by January 1, 2029; all other apartment-zoned units countywide (Ma'alaea, Kihei, Wailea, South Maui, Hana, Molokai) must stop by January 1, 2031. There is no renewal, opt-out, or appeal process once a deadline passes. Hotel-zoned and resort-zoned properties, permitted bed-and-breakfast homes, and permitted short-term rental homes under separate code chapters are not affected by Bill 9 and continue operating under their existing rules.See the rulesWatch this market
Miami Beach, FLBanned in single-family homes and most residential zones; allowed only in specifically authorized buildings, mostly in commercial and mixed-use districtsMiami Beach bans short-term rentals (leases under six months and a day) in single-family homes and in most multifamily zones, but a pre-2011 city ordinance — grandfathered under Florida's statewide preemption law — lets it keep enforcing this patchwork. Roughly 434 specific apartment buildings across a mix of commercial, mixed-use, and some residential zoning districts are authorized to operate as vacation rentals, verifiable through the city's own zoning map and address-lookup tool. Legal operators need a Business Tax Receipt and Resort Tax registration, both of which must be displayed in listings; operating without authorization risks eviction of guests and fines against the owner.See the rulesWatch this market
Key West, FLStays of 28 days or less only in properties holding a grandfathered transient license; no new licenses issuedKey West splits residential rentals into two categories: non-transient rentals, which may not be rented for less than 29 days at a time, and transient rentals of 28 days or less, which require a transient rental license. The city stopped issuing new transient licenses years ago and grandfathered the existing ones, so legal nightly or weekly rentals depend on a property already holding one of a limited pool of licenses — which transfer with the property and trade on a secondary market for as much as $400,000. Every rental also needs a City of Key West Business Tax Receipt and a Florida DBPR license, and Monroe County's tourist development tax applies on top of state sales tax.See the rulesWatch this market
Orlando, FLEntire-home rentals under 30 days not permitted in the city; hosted home sharing onlyInside City of Orlando limits, whole-home rentals of 1 to 29 days are not permitted in residential areas. The legal residential option is a registered Home Share, where an owner or tenant lives on-site and rents no more than half the bedrooms. Commercial dwelling units (7–29 days), hotels and motels, and bed-and-breakfasts follow separate zoning and Business Tax Receipt rules. These city rules do not cover the resort areas many investors mean by 'Orlando' — addresses in unincorporated Orange County, Kissimmee, or Osceola County follow different codes. Combined guest-facing tax is roughly 12.5%.See the rulesWatch this market
Panama City Beach, FLAllowed with an annual Vacation Rental Certificate and fire inspectionPanama City Beach allows vacation rentals in houses and condos but requires every unit to hold an annual Vacation Rental Certificate under Ordinance 1632, effective February 1, 2024. Getting one means passing a fire inspection, which sets and posts the maximum occupancy, and registering ($250 new, $150 renewal). Hosts must post interior safety information and an exterior sign or decal with a 24/7 contact. Renting without a certificate is unlawful, with fines of $500, then $1,000, and a one-year revocation for a third violation within 12 months. Guests pay about 12% in combined taxes inside the Bay County tourist development district.See the rulesWatch this market
Fort Lauderdale, FLAllowed with city registration, inspection and a Certificate of ComplianceFort Lauderdale allows vacation rentals but requires each one to register with the city, pass a safety inspection and hold a Certificate of Compliance, on top of state and county licenses. Registration costs $880 including the first inspection. Occupancy is capped at two guests per legal bedroom, guests must park off-street, and a responsible party must be reachable 24/7 and able to show up within an hour. The city actively fines unregistered listings, and repeat violations lead to certificate suspensions. Guests pay about 13% in combined taxes.See the rulesWatch this market
Tampa, FLAllowed with a state license; no city registration yet, but the city is studying opting into the county's new programThe City of Tampa does not currently run its own short-term rental registration program, so operators mainly need a Florida DBPR vacation rental license, state and county tax registration, and compliance with zoning. That may change: Hillsborough County approved a vacation rental registration and inspection ordinance on September 2, 2026 ($200 a year, effective January 1, 2027) for unincorporated areas, and Tampa City Council has asked its lawyers how the city could opt in. Guests pay about 12% in combined taxes.See the rulesWatch this market
Charleston, SCResidential STRs only in the owner's primary residence; commercial STRs in certain commercial zonesCharleston's 2018 short-term rental ordinance limits residential STRs to the owner's full-time primary residence, proven by the county's 4% legal-residence tax exemption. Hosts don't have to stay on site but must be generally available. Each property may have one STR unit, with up to four adults overnight and one extra off-street parking space. Three residential categories add location rules: on the historic peninsula the building must be individually listed on the National Register (Category 1) or at least 50 years old (Category 2). Non-owner-occupied STRs are possible only in certain commercial zones, up to nine units per lot. Permits renew every year.See the rulesWatch this market
Myrtle Beach, SCAllowed only in zones mapped for rentals under 90 days; banned in most residential neighborhoodsIn the City of Myrtle Beach, rentals under 90 days are allowed only in zones mapped for them — mostly the oceanfront and visitor-accommodation districts. Every residential zone starting with 'R' prohibits them except RMV (Residential Multifamily Visitor), and fewer than 30 houses in traditional neighborhoods are grandfathered. A city business license is required. In the core tourist area east of Kings Highway, a 2024 overlay also stops hotels and multi-unit rental buildings from converting to long-term rentals. Violations are misdemeanors with fines up to $500. Guests pay roughly 10–13% in combined accommodations taxes.See the rulesWatch this market
Nags Head (Outer Banks), NCAllowed in every zoning district with annual town registrationNags Head allows residential short-term rentals in every zoning district. Owners register annually with the town (a $25 fee and September 1 deadline, per a secondary source). Whole-house rentals follow ordinary single-family rules, and partial-house rentals, where the owner lives there, are limited to two bedrooms and need an extra parking space. North Carolina law limits how far towns can go with rental registration, and the state Vacation Rental Act governs rental agreements under 90 days. Guests pay about 12.75% in combined taxes: 6% Dare County occupancy tax plus 6.75% sales tax.See the rulesWatch this market
Charlotte, NCAllowed as a residential use; no city permit or registryCharlotte has no short-term rental permit or registry. The city removed STR-specific language from its Unified Development Ordinance in April 2022 and treats rentals as ordinary residential use, and North Carolina law limits cities' ability to require rental registration. The main local constraint is the zoning definition of a household: no more than six unrelated people in a dwelling unit. Operators still need to collect state and local sales tax plus Mecklenburg County's 8% room occupancy tax — about 16.25% combined from July 2026.See the rulesWatch this market
Wilmington, NCAllowed subject to zoning standards; the old lottery, cap and spacing rules were struck down in 2022Wilmington's original short-term rental rules — a registration lottery, a 2% cap and 400-foot spacing between rentals — were struck down in Schroeder v. City of Wilmington (N.C. Court of Appeals, April 5, 2022), which held that state law bars cities from requiring rental registration. The city rebuilt its rules as zoning standards. According to a secondary source, Ordinance #0509 (November 21, 2024) allows homestays in the host's principal residence in residential and historic districts, allows whole-house rentals in commercial districts and in residential districts subject to parking and operator standards, limits guests to two per bedroom, and requires a $75-per-unit annual owner permit plus a 2% city lodging tax. Guests pay about 15% in combined taxes.See the rulesWatch this market
Memphis, TNAllowed with a permit; no cap on non-owner-occupied rentalsMemphis requires a short-term rental permit for any residential property rented for less than 30 consecutive days, under an ordinance effective July 1, 2023. According to a secondary source, both owner-occupied and non-owner-occupied rentals are allowed with no permit cap, each permit covers up to three sleeping rooms, stays must be at least 24 hours, and the permit costs $300 up front and $150 a year to renew, plus city and county business licenses. Operating without a permit is reported at $50 per day. Guests pay about 18.75% in combined taxes.See the rulesWatch this market
Galveston, TXAllowed with annual registration and a 24/7 local contactThe City of Galveston allows short-term rentals with annual registration. A 2025 ordinance, in force from January 2026, sets a $250 registration fee due by December 31 (with a $500 late fee), requires a local contact who is available 24/7 and can respond within an hour, and requires occupancy, parking and noise rules to be posted for guests. Violations are Class C misdemeanors with fines up to $500 per offense — up to $2,000 for health, sanitation, zoning or fire-safety violations — and three violations in 12 months can lead to revocation. Guests pay 15% hotel occupancy tax (6% state plus 9% city).See the rulesWatch this market
San Antonio, TXAllowed with a permit; non-owner-occupied (Type 2) permits capped at 12.5% of each block faceSan Antonio allows short-term rentals with a city permit in two types: Type 1 for owner-occupied homes and Type 2 for non-owner-occupied rentals. Type 2 permits are capped at 12.5% of homes on a block face (always at least one), and small multifamily buildings of fewer than eight units may have only one. The 2024 ordinance raised fees ($300 Type 1, $450 Type 2, both for three years), added administrative enforcement and permit revocations of up to three years, and requires platforms to remove listings without a valid permit number. Guests pay about 16.75% in combined hotel occupancy taxes.See the rulesWatch this market
New York City, NYOnly hosted stays in the host's primary residence, with up to two guests and a city registrationNew York City effectively bans traditional short-term rentals. Under Local Law 18 (adopted January 9, 2022; enforced since September 5, 2023), anyone renting for less than 30 days must register with the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement, and booking platforms may not process transactions for unregistered rentals. Registration is limited to a host's primary residence, the host must be present during the stay, and no more than two guests are allowed. Units in many rent-regulated and public housing buildings are on a prohibited list. Violations can bring fines of up to $5,000. Rentals of 30 days or more, and Class B buildings like hotels, are outside the registration law.See the rulesWatch this market
Chicago, ILAllowed with registration; primary-residence rules for small buildings, and many buildings and precincts opted outChicago allows short-term rentals through its Shared Housing Ordinance, with annual registration. According to a secondary source, single-family homes and units in two- to four-unit buildings must be the host's primary residence (lived in at least 245 days a year), with only one unit per small building; larger buildings are capped at a quarter of units or six, whichever is smaller. More than 2,400 buildings have opted out through the city's Prohibited Buildings List, and some precincts have banned new registrations by petition. The city charges a 4.5% hotel accommodations tax plus a 6% vacation rental and shared housing surcharge (10.5% total), before county and state taxes. In June 2026 the city sued Airbnb and a high-volume host over illegal listings.See the rulesWatch this market
Boston, MAOnly in the operator's primary residence or a unit in the owner's own building; investor units not allowedBoston's 2018 short-term rental ordinance allows only three kinds of rentals, all tied to where the operator or owner lives: a Limited Share Unit (part of the operator's primary residence, with the operator present), a Home Share Unit (the operator's whole primary residence), or an Owner-Adjacent Unit (a separate unit in a building where the owner lives, such as a two- or three-family home). Investor-owned units that aren't the owner's or operator's home are not eligible. Primary residence means living there at least nine months a year. Units must register with the city ($25 or $200). Fines run $100 to $300 per violation per day. Massachusetts also requires state registration, $1 million in liability insurance, and a 5.7% state excise plus Boston's 6.5% local excise.See the rulesWatch this market
Cape Cod (Barnstable), MAAllowed with annual town Board of Health registration and state registrationThe Town of Barnstable — Cape Cod's largest town, including Hyannis, Centerville, Osterville and Cotuit — allows short-term rentals but requires every rental property to register each year with the town's Health Division under Board of Health rules (Chapter 170), and with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Guests pay 14.45% in combined taxes: a 5.7% state excise, a 6% town excise and a 2.75% Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund excise. State law also requires $1 million in liability insurance. Other Cape towns set their own rules.See the rulesWatch this market
Newport, RIOwner-occupied only in residential zones; investor STRs only in certain business and waterfront zonesNewport limits short-term rentals (under 30 days) in its residential zones to homes that are the owner's primary residence, with a maximum of two bedrooms and four guests, according to a secondary source. Non-owner-occupied short-term rentals are permitted in General Business, Commercial Industrial and Waterfront Business zones, and by special use permit in Limited Business zones. Hosts register annually with the city ($1,000 per location reported) and must also register with the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, as state law requires for any rental listed on a hosting platform.See the rulesWatch this market
Washington, DCPrimary residence only; unhosted stays capped at 90 nights a yearDC allows short-term rentals only in a host's primary residence — a property eligible for the Homestead Tax Deduction — and only individuals, not LLCs or corporations, can be hosts. There are two licenses: a Short-Term Rental license when the host is present, with no annual cap, and a Vacation Rental license when the host is away, capped at 90 nights a year. Stays are limited to 30 consecutive nights, and a two-year license costs $99. A 2026 amendment proposed by the Mayor would let renters host and add a special-event license; it had not become law as of the last report.See the rulesWatch this market
Virginia Beach, VANew STRs only in Sandbridge and the Oceanfront overlay; older registered units grandfatheredVirginia Beach allows new short-term rentals only in the Sandbridge Special Service District and the Oceanfront Resort STR Overlay District; properties registered before July 1, 2018 that paid transient occupancy taxes are grandfathered elsewhere. Every STR needs an annual $500 zoning permit, and new units in the Oceanfront overlay also need a conditional use permit renewed every five years. Operators must provide one parking space per bedroom, carry $1 million in liability insurance, file life-safety and structural reports, and register with the Commissioner of Revenue. A proposal to redraw and shrink the Oceanfront overlay went to the Planning Commission on August 12, 2026.See the rulesWatch this market
Traverse City, MIUnhosted rentals only in commercial and resort districts; owner-occupied tourist homes in residential areasIn the City of Traverse City, unhosted vacation home rentals (stays under 30 days) are not allowed in residential districts. They're permitted with a city Vacation Home Rental License in hotel-resort, commercial and development districts, capped at 25% of units in some of those districts. In residential neighborhoods the option is a licensed, owner-occupied Tourist Home renting two or three rooms. The city has been reviewing its rules, including possible citywide caps and escalating penalties. Surrounding townships in Grand Traverse County have their own rules.See the rulesWatch this market
Door County (Sturgeon Bay), WIAllowed with a city license, Tourism Zone permit and state Tourist Rooming House licenseIn Sturgeon Bay, Door County's largest city, short-term rentals need a city license and a permit from the Door County Tourism Zone Commission, which administers room tax across the county's participating municipalities. The city license costs $100, renews annually and expires June 30, and the operator or a management company must be within a 90-minute drive of the rental. Wisconsin law bars local bans on rentals of seven days or longer, but allows limits on shorter stays, and rentals of more than 10 nights a year need a state Tourist Rooming House license. Other Door County towns and villages have their own ordinances.See the rulesWatch this market
Monitoring
Rules change. We watch them.
A city page tells you what the rules are today. Rules usually change in a council agenda or a state bill months before the city updates its website, so we watch where changes start and email you when something is proposed, passed or takes effect.
| What we watch | Municipal code, the city's STR pages, council and planning agendas, and state legislation The exact list for each market is in its Sources section, marked as monitored. |
|---|---|
| What you get | An email with what changed, when it takes effect, and a link to the official source Proposed changes are labeled as proposed. Nothing is reported as law until it is. |
| How to start | Open a market and choose “Watch this market” Or, if you operate in several cities, tell us which ones. |
Who this is for
Built for people making rental decisions
| STR investors | Research a market before you buy Whether investor-owned rentals are allowed, in which zones, and what the permit and taxes cost. |
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| Hosts | Understand the rules for a property you already run Occupancy limits, minimum stays, what must appear in your listing, and what gets a permit revoked. |
| Property managers | Monitor changes across every market you operate in One missed council vote can affect every client in a city. Watch each market and get the change, dated and sourced. |
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| Independent | Not a city, a booking platform, a property manager or a law firm No one can pay to change how a rule or a market is described. |
|---|---|
| Official sources only | Municipal code, city permit pages, council records and state law Blogs and forums are never used. A platform's own help pages are cited only for what that platform does, such as which taxes it collects. |
| Every rule cites its source | Numbered citations link each rule to the document it came from If a source doesn't state something, we say so rather than guess. |
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| Not legal advice | General information to help you ask the right questions Confirm with the jurisdiction and a qualified professional before acting. |
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