Discover 10 effective strategies to research and find the local short-term rental ordinances that govern your vacation rental property.

10 Ways to Research Short-Term Rental Ordinances in Your Area

Short-term rental ordinances include occupancy limits, zoning regulations, licensing, property maintenance, taxes, noise, and insurance requirements.

Use resources like OTA platforms, local government websites, and industry associations to stay updated on regulations.

Employ technology, legal experts, and community forums to keep your rental compliant with local laws and minimize risks.

Trying to find and understand the local short-term rental (STR) ordinances that govern your property as an STR host is like being handed a puzzle with half the pieces missing. Every city has its own set of rules, often hidden deep within government websites or scattered across various websites, making compliance a tough and time-consuming task.

Luckily, with the right tools and resources, you can keep your rental property operating legally. Hosts who learn to operate within the ever-changing legal framework are poised to thrive, while those who don’t might struggle to keep their rental properties profitable and above board.

This guide shares 10 ways to uncover and understand local STR laws and regulations.

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10 Ways to Research Local Short-Term Rental Ordinances

Most rental property owners have every intention of adhering to local short-term rental ordinances—but sometimes knowing what the laws are is harder than it should be.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to find out how to comply with your city’s laws. Let’s explore several paths to research and understand local short-term rental ordinances in your area:

A great first step is to check out the most obvious hosting resource—the platform through which your property is listed. Some online travel agencies (OTAs) help hosts understand local regulations through dedicated web pages, support articles, or community forums. 

Airbnb offers the most thorough resources, including a dedicated Local Laws page that breaks down short-term rental regulations by location. 

While Vrbo doesn’t offer city-specific guides like Airbnb, it does have a strong library of support articles, including pieces on short-term rental registration number requirements and collecting and remitting taxes.

Booking.com does not have any internal guides or articles about local STR ordinances but does have a small list of external resources for certain regions.

Most cities and counties have official websites that provide information about local regulations, including short-term rental ordinances. Look for sections dedicated to housing regulations, community development, or rental properties. 

Given the prevalence of short-term vacation rentals in recent years, many cities now have a specific web page or PDF document detailing their STR regulations. For example, San Francisco’s Planning Department provides detailed information on their short-term rental rules.

If you can’t find the information you need online, contact your local authorities directly. Reach out to city or county officials who work in zoning departments, housing authorities, and tourism boards. They can provide insights and clarify any ambiguities in the regulations. 

This tip might sound too easy to be true, but a simple search on Google, YouTube, Bing, and other search engines can be quite effective. 

Use search terms such as “short-term rental ordinances [your city]” or “vacation rental regulations [your county].” Be specific with your location to get the most relevant results. 

For example, the first result using “short-term rental ordinances Austin TX” as the search term is Austin’s Code Compliance Guide to Short-Term Rentals. 

Many members of our AirDNA team are STR property owners, so we understand how frustrating it can be to hunt down the relevant ordinances that apply to your city or county. That’s why we’ve created several comprehensive guides and tools that show which cities enforce specific ordinances. 

One particularly useful feature is the Zone Details within our for-sale property performance metrics. Zone Status indicates if the zone permits STRs. We also provide the Zone Code and Zone Name and the option to ‘View Report,’ which redirects you to the relevant resource for learning more information. 

Additionally, our blog library includes several guides about short-term rental ordinances for hosts:

How Regulations Can Impact Your Short-Term Rental Business

Understanding Short-Term Rental Regulations

Local and national short-term rental associations often provide up-to-date information about industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices. Joining these associations can help you stay informed and connected with other property owners who share their experiences and strategies for compliance.

Some associations you can consider joining include:

Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA): Provides resources and advocacy for vacation rental managers.

Association for Short-Term Rental Homeowners (ASTRHO): this is a free to join, not-for-profit professional network for all short-term and vacation rental homeowners.

National Association of Short-Term Rental Management (NASTRM): The largest community of vacation rental owners in the US, NASTRM offers regular newsletters on the latest industry news, trends, and research, as well as events and a certification program.

Rent Responsibly Network: free access to professional tools and resources, events, and a nationwide network of hosts, vendors, and advocates.

7. Consult Legal and Real Estate Professionals

Legal and real estate professionals can help you navigate the intricacies of local laws, helping you remain compliant and avoid potential legal issues. 

Websites like FindLaw and Avvo can help you find attorneys who specialize in real estate and local regulations. Contact a handful of attorneys to find someone you connect with who is willing to provide guidance on short-term rental licenses and other applicable permits.

You can also find a local real estate professional online by consulting real estate associations in your state or searching on digital real estate platforms like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin. Most of these websites allow you to read reviews, check the professional’s specialties, and contact them directly to inquire about their expertise in STR ordinance compliance.

Many municipalities publish public records and databases online where you can find information about local ordinances and download short-term rental applications. Websites like Municode and American Legal Publishing offer searchable databases of municipal codes and ordinances. These resources can be incredibly helpful in finding detailed and specific regulations relevant to your property.

Online forums and communities—like Reddit and specialized STR Facebook groups—can be excellent sources of information. Property owners often share their experiences and advice for navigating local regulations, and you can easily create your own thread or make a post asking for guidance or resources for your specific situation. 

Tripadvisor’s Timeshares/Vacation Rentals forum

BiggerPockets’ Short Term Rental & Airbnb Investing Forum

There are several apps and software platforms designed to help STR owners manage their properties and stay compliant with local laws. 

Platforms like Granicus’s Host Compliance offer features like compliance monitoring, rental activity tracking, tax collection automation, and registration management. Avalara’s MyLodgeTax applies, maintains and annually renews lodging tax licenses and permits on your behalf. They also offer free state lodging tax guides and a guide on occupancy tax compliance. 

Gain insights into the revenue and occupancy trends in your market.

A short-term rental ordinance includes regulations and laws set by local governments to manage the rental properties in their jurisdiction. They address different aspects of short-term rental properties, from licensing and safety standards to zoning and occupancy limits.

Short-term rental ordinances may not always be convenient for property owners, but they play an important role in balancing host interests with those of the surrounding community. 

Key Components of Short-Term Rental Regulations

Most short-term rental regulations are focused on accommodating guests—determining how many and where—and generating revenue. 

Occupancy limits: Restrictions on guest capacity, STR unit size, and location.

Zoning regulations: Keep short-term rentals located in appropriate areas (such as commercial or mixed-use areas) so they don’t disrupt residential zones.

Property maintenance code: Make sure rental properties are code-compliant on fire safety, electrical systems, and structural integrity to ensure guest safety and building longevity.

Licensing and permits: Maintain control of how many vacation rentals exist in a given area through fees and operating standards.

Transient occupancy taxes (TOT): Also known as "tourist taxes" or "bed taxes," these taxes generate local revenue and fund community services and infrastructure projects.

Noise and nuisance regulations: Rules on noise levels, quiet hours, and other nuisance-related issues help to maintain peaceful neighbor relations and high property values.

Insurance requirements: Protect against potential damages or injuries by mandating short-term rental operators to carry specific types of insurance, such as liability coverage.

Fostering good relationships with the cities where you operate will take your rental business far. Keep yourself informed of local regulations and stay current on the permits and short-term rental licenses required. Not only will you avoid penalties and legal actions that hurt your income, but you’ll demonstrate that you understand and care about the place of STRs in your community beyond your bottom line.

AirDNA’s powerful yet easy-to-use tools make hosting and investing a breeze. This means having every insight you need, all in one place, always up-to-date.

Struggling to navigate short-term rental ordinances? Discover 10 ways to research local STR laws and keep your property compliant and profitable.

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10 Ways to Research Short-Term Rental Ordinances in Your Area

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