Discover the 2026 short-term rental laws and regulations for the top 8 US states. Get insights on licensing, local restrictions, and tips to maximize your rental income and ensure compliance.
The short-term rental (STR) market in the United States continues to grow. AirDNA reports that 2024 marked the first RevPAR gains since 2021 (3.4%) with occupancy projected to hit pre-pandemic levels (54.9%) by end-2025, and its 2026 short-term rental outlook report indicates 2026 will be a strong year for investors, even with a potential dip in demand.
Alongside market growth, regulators are moving seemingly just as fast. Wherever you operate, expect to register, pay lodging taxes, and comply with zoning, occupancy, and nuisance rules.
This guide explains how short-term rental laws in the US work across the country, highlights 2026 rules and trends in eight key states, and gives you the details to stay compliant as a host, property manager, or multi‑property operator.
Disclaimer
This guide was last updated in February 2026 and is not a substitute for professional legal advice. Short-term rental laws change regularly, so please use this as a quick introduction to the legal information you may need to consider. Individual cities can amend ordinances regularly, so confirm requirements directly with the jurisdiction before operating.
What are the short-term rental laws in the US?
Short-term rental laws in the US are primarily local, with cities and counties setting definitions, licensing, and operational rules, and states layering in taxes and, in some places, preemption that limits local bans.
As of 2026, operators should expect to register, post a license number on listings, pay state and local lodging taxes, follow zoning and occupancy caps, and comply with nuisance rules covering noise, parking, trash, and events. Some states limit how much cities can restrict short-term rentals (STRs), but private rules in buildings and HOAs still apply.
How to use this guide:
- Laws change frequently, the examples here are current as of early 2026.
- Rules can differ street‑by‑street, so always check your city code and room tax requirements.
- Buildings, HOAs, leases, and platforms add private rules on top of public law.
Understanding the common threads can save you hours of code-reading:
Definitions and stay length: Many jurisdictions define STRs as stays under 30 nights, but thresholds vary. Some use “less than monthly,” others pick 90 days. Hosted versus unhosted, and primary‑residence tests, are increasingly standard in large cities.
Licensing and registration: Expect at least a city business license and a STR permit or registration number, with periodic renewal. Many cities require you to display this number on listings and to maintain local contact details for rapid response.
Zoning and caps: Cities may prohibit STRs in certain residential zones, cap STRs as a share of the housing stock, or limit by block, building, or unit type.
Occupancy and events: Ordinances can set overnight occupancy caps, restrict events and weddings, enforce quiet hours, and require parking and trash plans. Several cities tie repeat nuisance violations to license suspension or revocation.
Taxation: You’ll typically face state sales tax plus local room, occupancy, or tourism taxes. Marketplace facilitators often collect on your behalf, but liability ultimately sits with the operator.
Monitoring and privacy: More codes now require disclosure of noise or occupancy monitoring devices, ban indoor cameras in private areas, and require deactivation of any recording devices when occupied. Some cities write these conditions directly into STR permits.
With those pillars in mind, let’s look at eight states and how to navigate them in 2026.
1. Alaska
Overview of Alaska short-term rental laws
Alaska has no single statewide STR definition, so each city and borough sets its own criteria for STR laws. Anchorage, Juneau, and the Fairbanks area each define STRs, set permit structures, and decide which zoning districts allow them.
State-level rules
At the state level, most operators register for an Alaska business license, collect and remit any state sales taxes applicable to their area, and comply with fire and building codes. Because Alaska’s tax structure relies on local sales and bed taxes, confirm both borough and city obligations before you list.
Key local examples
Anchorage: The municipality requires STR operators to obtain a local license per unit, designate a 24‑hour contact, maintain liability insurance, and display a valid registration number on listings.
Juneau:Juneau defines short-term rentals as stays under 30 days. Zoning limits apply in some neighborhoods, and annual renewals include verification of safety measures and parking. The city’s STR registration program remains active in 2026.
Fairbanks: Operators need Alaska State and Fairbanks North Star Borough business licenses, and to comply with zoning, capacity, parking, and fire safety. No dedicated STR registration is needed.
What to do in Alaska
Confirm whether your borough or city has its own STR ordinance and zoning map.
Obtain both an Alaska business license and the required city STR registration.
Publish house rules for occupancy, noise, parking, and trash, and disclose any monitoring devices in your listing and house manual.
2. Florida
Overview of Florida short-term rental laws
Florida is a popular tourist destination and welcomes vacation rentals. The state's STR laws cover various aspects, including licensing, taxes, and zoning.
Local governments can charge a ‘reasonable fee’ for vacation rental owners to register their property. On top of this, owners must register with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation if they rent out a full unit more than three times a calendar year for stays under 30 days.
State-level rules
Florida requires many STRs to obtain a vacation rental license through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). In practice, if you rent a home, condo, or apartment more than three times a year for less than 30 days at a time, or hold it out to the public as available for transient rental, you fall under DBPR’s transient public lodging and must be licensed.
State taxes include sales tax, and most counties levy tourist development taxes. The state does not impose a one‑size occupancy formula, rather headcounts are governed by fire and building safety codes, along with local ordinances. Associations can be stricter: condos and HOAs often bar or limit STRs outright.
City snapshots
Miami Beach: Rentals under 30 or 31 days are illegal in most residential districts. Enforcement is aggressive, with fines and de‑listing orders common for illegal listings.
Pompano Beach: The city defines vacation rentals broadly (stays up to six months) and requires registration, inspection, and fees for each unit, with ongoing compliance duties for parking, trash, and noise.
Clearwater/Clearwater Beach: Most residential zones prohibit rentals under 31 days or a calendar month, with exceptions in resort or tourism districts. Expect both city registration and DBPR licensing where STRs are allowed.
What to do in Florida
Verify if your property sits in a local “vacation rental” zone allowing stays under 30 or 31 days.
Obtain a DBPR vacation rental license and local registration, and display numbers on all listings.
Collect and remit state sales tax and any county tourist development tax.
Check HOA/condo bylaws and lease restrictions before accepting bookings.
3. Georgia
Overview of Georgia short-term rental laws
Georgia’s popularity has risen in recent years, and it has been dubbed the LA alternative for the film industry. With plenty of industry professionals looking for short-term accommodation, it’s unsurprising that property managers are looking to invest in cities like Atlanta.
Short-term rentals are subject to state taxes and fees, however the landscape is complex and trickier to understand, with no statewide definition of a short-term rental for the Peach State.
In general, though, operators must pay lodging and sales taxes, and most local governments require operators to register with the Georgia Department of Revenue.
State-level rules
State taxes include a 4% sales tax and a statewide $5 per‑night hotel‑motel fee that applies to most transient stays. Local lodging taxes are common in larger metros.
City snapshots
Atlanta: Has its own short-term rental ordinance and requires hosts to maintain the property as their primary residence (meaning they must live on-site) and obtain a standard city business license. Hosts may operate a maximum of two properties total, including their primary residence.
Savannah/Athens: Both require short-term rental registration or permits, impose caps on units in certain districts, and enforce strict occupancy and parking regulations. Operators must provide local contact information and publish detailed house rules covering noise, trash, and guest limits.
What to do in Georgia
Obtain a city business license and STR registration where required.
Budget for state and local lodging taxes, including the $5 hotel‑motel fee.
Confirm zoning, parking, and occupancy rules and include them in your house materials.
4. Kentucky
Overview of Kentucky short-term rental laws
Kentucky boasts plenty of character and is known for horseracing, delicious bourbon, and bluegrass music.
With so much to offer, the STR market has boomed in recent years, and the growth has prompted more stringent laws to improve relationships between STR operators and local communities.
State-level rules
Register for state tax collection and watch for local transient room taxes. Although marketplace facilitators often collect, operators retain responsibility for accurate filings if platforms do not cover every tax.
City snapshots
Louisville: The city requires STR registration and enforces zoning limits in some residential districts. Applications ask for local contacts, parking plans, occupancy limits, and proof of tax registration. Penalties escalate for unlicensed operation and nuisance violations.
Lexington: Registration is required, with operator obligations for noise, trash, and parking. Multifamily buildings may have separate permission processes.
What to do in Kentucky
Register for state sales and transient room taxes and confirm local lodging taxes.
Secure the city registration or STR permit and publish your registration number.
Document occupancy, parking, and quiet hours in your listing and house rules.
5. Maine
Overview of Maine short-term rental laws
Maine continues to rely on local control, informed by state‑level study efforts through a recent STR commission. The commission’s work did not create a statewide STR license, instead it affirmed ongoing local regulation, and cities in southern Maine have some of the state’s most developed frameworks.
State-level rules
There’s no single statewide STR license. Expect state sales tax on transient accommodations and active local registration programs in coastal cities.
City snapshots
Kennebunkport: The town requires an STR license with annual renewal and inspection. Caps apply to the number of STRs in certain zones, and operators must meet parking and safety standards and respond to complaints promptly.
Portland: Annual registration is required, with primary‑residence rules for some categories and caps or bans in certain districts. The city tracks registrations by unit type and requires permit numbers on listings.
What to do in Maine
Confirm your city’s cap structure and which zones allow dedicated STRs.
Register annually, pass inspections, and maintain updated contact information.
Disclose any monitoring device, prohibit events if required, and post quiet hours.
6. North Carolina
Overview of North Carolina short-term rental laws
North Carolina’s Vacation Rental Act governs the contractual relationship for stays under 90 days in dwelling units, setting baseline rights and obligations for owners and guests. Zoning and licensing remain local.
City snapshots
Raleigh: The city adopted a registration regime that requires a zoning verification, a local contact, display of the permit number in advertisements, bans on events, and operational standards in multifamily buildings. Expect ongoing recordkeeping requirements.
Chapel Hill: STRs require a zoning compliance permit, are limited to mapped zones, and face caps on the number of dedicated STRs. Primary‑residence distinctions can influence eligibility and annual limits.
What to do in North Carolina
Review your city’s zoning map and STR registration process before listing.
Include your permit number on all advertisements, and keep required records.
Align guest caps, quiet hours, and parking rules with your city’s ordinance.
7. Ohio
Overview of Ohio short-term rental laws
Ohio layers state sales/use tax with city and county lodging taxes. Local STR rules are active in major metros, with privacy obligations featuring prominently.
State-level rules
Register to collect state sales tax, then identify county and city lodging taxes. Some platforms collect by agreement, but local rules often require host registration regardless.
City snapshots
Columbus: The city requires a STR license and imposes privacy and monitoring device rules per Ohio Revised Code 2933.52: hosts must disclose any devices, may not record in sleeping or bathroom areas, and must deactivate recording devices if guests do not consent. Noise, parking, and trash rules apply, and the city can suspend licenses for violations.
Cleveland: Operators must obtain a STR permit, post permit numbers, and comply with building and fire inspections. Residential districts often impose occupancy limits and event prohibitions.
💡As more states require STRs to declare monitoring devices, privacy-safe equipment like Minut becomes essential. Minut monitors excessive noise, occupancy, cigarette smoke, and temperature and humidity without recording anything. Discover Minut.
What to do in Ohio
Register for state and local taxes and obtain the city STR license.
Disclose any monitoring devices and confirm they comply with privacy provisions.
Set occupancy caps and quiet hours that match your city code and building rules.
8. Washington
Overview of Washington short-term rental laws
Washington State requires business registration to obtain a Unified Business Identifier (UBI) and compliance with state and local lodging taxes. Cities control licensing and caps.
State-level rules
Expect state business licensing, state sales and lodging taxes, and local hotel/motel taxes. Marketplace facilitators may collect, but you remain responsible for accuracy.
City snapshot
Vancouver:maintains an STR permit program paired with a city business license. Fees apply to both the business license and the STR permit, and operators must maintain a local contact and comply with nuisance standards.
What to do in Washington
Obtain a state UBI and register for state and local lodging taxes.
Secure Vancouver’s STR permit and business license if operating there, and monitor cap updates and overlay deadlines.
Respond to complaints promptly and ensure quiet hours and parking plans are in place.
What changed between 2024 and 2026
Since we first published this article in 2024, there has been significant regulatory evolution across the USA. Here’s what changed:
More state preemption debates. Florida’s strong preemption remains in place after a 2024 veto, while other states are refining what cities can regulate, often nuisance, licensing, and health/safety rather than outright bans. For context, see this Florida preemption overview.
Platform accountability matured. Cities increasingly require platforms to verify registration numbers and block illegal bookings, an approach validated by federal appellate precedent out of Santa Monica and baked into major programs like New York City’s Local Law 18.
Stronger enforcement. Jurisdictions shifted from ad‑hoc party crackdowns to more systemic tools: bigger fines, revocation triggers for repeat nuisance, booking‑data sharing, and registration‑number validation APIs. San Diego’s public dashboard of active licenses and compliance processes is a useful model.
Mid‑term stays gained share. Demand continues to tilt toward 30+ night stays, which many cities treat differently from STRs, including San Francisco. This is an important consideration for portfolio planning and extended‑stay offerings.
Compliance and privacy: how Minut helps you meet 2026 norms
Across the country, many cities now require you to disclose any monitoring devices in your listing and house rules, prohibit indoor cameras or any audio recording in private areas, and require deactivation if guests don’t consent.
This is where privacy‑by‑design tools matter. Minut monitors sound levels and occupancy patterns without recording audio or video, helping you satisfy noise, nuisance, and over‑occupancy obligations while respecting guest privacy. As more cities require disclosure and either ban or tightly restrict indoor cameras, privacy‑first monitoring that detects noise levels without capturing conversations or images has become the preferred option for compliance‑minded operators.
