STRWATCH.AI 50/50 MARKETS · UPDATED 2026-07-18 · ALL CITIES

The regulatory desk for short-term rentals.

City-by-city STR rules — permits, caps, zoning, taxes, penalties — with every claim linked to its official source and stamped with the date we last checked it. Not a blog post that went stale in 2023.

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New York, NY2026-07-15 HEAVILY REGULATED

In New York City, renting out an entire home or apartment for fewer than 30 consecutive days is illegal in all permanent residential buildings (private dwellings and Class A multiple dwellings), even for owners — whole-unit short-term rentals are only lawful in city-approved Class B (transient) buildings such as hotels.

Austin, TX2026-07-15 REGULATED

Short-term rentals (any rental of a housing unit or portion of one for less than 30 consecutive days) are legal citywide in Austin, including non-owner-occupied whole homes, but every STR needs its own city operator's license before it can be rented or even advertised.

Denver, CO2026-07-15 HEAVILY REGULATED

Short-term rentals (stays under 30 consecutive days) are legal in Denver only in the host's one primary residence, so dedicated investment/second-home STRs are effectively prohibited.

Los Angeles, CA2026-07-16 HEAVILY REGULATED

In the City of Los Angeles, short-term rentals (stays of 30 consecutive days or less) are legal only as 'home-sharing' in the host's primary residence — the sole residence where the host lives more than 6 months per calendar year — under Home-Sharing Ordinance No.

Nashville, TN2026-07-16 HEAVILY REGULATED

Nashville (Metro Nashville-Davidson County) allows short-term rentals only with an annual STRP permit from the Metro Codes Department, and splits them into two types.

New Orleans, LA2026-07-16 HEAVILY REGULATED

Short-term rentals (any rental of a dwelling unit for under 30 consecutive days) are legal in New Orleans only with two annual city permits: an STR owner permit for the unit plus a separate STR operator permit, and platforms may not take bookings for unpermitted units.

San Diego, CA2026-07-16 HEAVILY REGULATED

Short-term rentals (any rental of a dwelling unit for less than one month, called Short-Term Residential Occupancy or STRO) are legal citywide in San Diego but only with a city-issued STRO license, a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate, and (if renting more than 6 days/year) a Rental Unit Business Tax account.

Miami Beach, FL2026-07-16 HEAVILY REGULATED

Miami Beach prohibits short-term rentals (any rental for less than six months and one day) in all single-family homes and in apartment/townhome properties in the RM-1, RM-PRD, RM-PRD-2, RPS-1, RPS-2, CD-1, RO, RO-3 and TH zoning districts, with narrow grandfathered exceptions in parts of the Flamingo Park, Espanola Way, Collins Waterfront and North Shore historic districts (entire-unit rentals only, 7-night minimum in the Collins Waterfront and North Beach exception areas).

Scottsdale, AZ2026-07-16 REGULATED

Short-term rentals (stays under 30 days) are legal in every residential zone in Scottsdale because Arizona state law (A.R.S.

Honolulu, HI2026-07-16 HEAVILY REGULATED

On Oahu, renting a dwelling for fewer than 30 consecutive days is illegal except in resort-zoned districts, a few mapped apartment-zoned areas (the Waikiki Special District apartment precinct mauka of Kuhio Avenue on two specified tax-map-key lots, A-1/A-2 areas near the Ko Olina and Turtle Bay resorts, and an A-2 area contiguous to the Hoakalei Resort, per the figures enacted by Ordinances 25-2 and 25-52), or under a grandfathered nonconforming use certificate (NUC) issued for pre-October 22, 1986 operations — new NUCs are not issued.

San Francisco, CA2026-07-16 HEAVILY REGULATED

Short-term rentals (stays under 30 days) are legal in San Francisco only in the host's own primary residence, under Administrative Code Chapter 41A.

Seattle, WA2026-07-16 REGULATED

Short-term rentals (any dwelling unit rented for fewer than 30 consecutive nights) are legal citywide in Seattle in most lawfully established dwelling units, but every operator needs two city credentials: a Seattle business license tax certificate and a $75/unit/year STR regulatory license (SMC Ch.

Chicago, IL2026-07-16 HEAVILY REGULATED

Short-term rentals (31 days or fewer booked through a platform) are legal in Chicago but tightly controlled under the Shared Housing Ordinance (MCC Ch.

Gatlinburg, TN2026-07-16 REGULATED

Short-term rentals ('tourist residencies') are legal and widespread in Gatlinburg but require a permit.

Palm Springs, CA2026-07-16 HEAVILY REGULATED

Palm Springs allows short-term 'vacation rentals' (unhosted, owner not present) and 'homeshares' (owner present) only as ancillary uses of single-family homes, and only under Chapter 5.25 of the Municipal Code (restated by Ordinance 2075, adopted Nov 28, 2022).

Las Vegas, NV2026-07-17 HEAVILY REGULATED

The incorporated City of Las Vegas allows short-term residential rentals (STRs, rentals of a residential unit for fewer than 31 consecutive days) only under a restrictive owner-occupied model.

Kissimmee, FL2026-07-17 HEAVILY REGULATED

In the City of Kissimmee, renting a residential dwelling for less than 30 days is prohibited in residential districts except inside the city's Short-Term Rental Overlay (STRO) district, and only where the use was approved through a planned unit development (SRPUD/MUPUD) or as a conditional use under City Code (Land Development Code) § 14-6-44 (or was grandfathered before the STRO regulations).

Boston, MA2026-07-17 HEAVILY REGULATED

Boston permits short-term rentals (stays under 28 consecutive days) only for owner-occupants of their primary residence, under the 2018 Short-Term Residential Rentals ordinance (Boston Municipal Code ch.

Washington, DC2026-07-17 HEAVILY REGULATED

Short-term rentals are legal in Washington, DC but only in the host's PRIMARY RESIDENCE (property eligible for the homestead deduction under DC Code § 47-850), per the Short-Term Rental Regulation Act of 2018 (DC Law 22-307, codified at DC Code § 30-201.01 et seq., enforced since 2022).

Dallas, TX2026-07-17 LIGHTLY REGULATED

Dallas passed two short-term rental (STR) ordinances on June 14, 2023: a ZONING ordinance (amending Chapters 51/51A of the Dallas Development Code) that makes STR lodging a permitted use only in multifamily, mixed-use, central-area, office, commercial and urban-corridor districts and effectively bans it from single-family residential neighborhoods; and a REGISTRATION ordinance (new City Code Chapter 42B) requiring annual registration ($404/yr, reinspection $234), inspection, a 24/7 local responsible party, a 2-night minimum stay, occupancy of 3 persons per bedroom capped at 12, and one STR per rentable unit.

Charleston, SC2026-07-17 HEAVILY REGULATED

Charleston legalized short-term rentals (stays of 1-29 consecutive days) citywide in a tightly limited form under Ordinance 2018-043 (ratified April 10, 2018, effective 90 days later).

Savannah, GA2026-07-17 HEAVILY REGULATED

Savannah allows short-term vacation rentals (STVRs, whole-dwelling rentals of 30 consecutive days or less) only after the owner obtains both a city business tax certificate and an annual STVR certificate ($400 new application, $250 annual renewal, non-refundable, via the city's Deckard registration portal).

Asheville, NC2026-07-17 BANNED (DE FACTO)

Asheville bans whole-home short-term rentals in nearly the entire city: a 'short-term vacation rental' (an entire dwelling unit rented for less than one month, UDO Sec.

Sedona, AZ2026-07-17 REGULATED

Short-term rentals (stays under 30 days) are legal citywide in Sedona and cannot be banned or capped: A.R.S.

South Lake Tahoe, CA2026-07-17 HEAVILY REGULATED

South Lake Tahoe's regulatory landscape changed fundamentally in 2025-2026: Measure T (the 2018 voter initiative that phased out vacation home rentals in residential zones by end of 2021) was struck down in its entirety by the El Dorado County Superior Court on March 13, 2025, because its permanent-resident exception was found unconstitutional, and the city declined to appeal on April 1, 2025.

Park City, UT2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Park City allows nightly (short-term) rentals — defined as rental of a dwelling unit for less than 30 days — but only where zoning permits it, and every unit must hold a City-issued Nightly Rental Business License before it can be advertised or rented.

Breckenridge, CO2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Short-term rentals (any accommodation unit rented for under 30 consecutive days) are legal in Breckenridge only with a Town-issued Accommodation Unit License, and new licenses are capped by one of four geographic zones adopted by Ordinance No.

Panama City Beach, FL2026-07-18 REGULATED

Panama City Beach does not ban or cap the frequency/duration of short-term rentals (Florida preempts that under Fla.

Destin, FL2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Whole-home short-term rentals are legal in Destin but tightly gated.

Gulf Shores, AL2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Whole-home short-term rentals ('Dwelling Units Licensed for Vacation Rental') are legal in Gulf Shores but only by zoning district: they are allowed by right in the Single Family and Duplex Tourist Rental Overlay District and in the BN, BG, BT, ICW-N and ICW-S business/tourist districts, plus PUD-designated multi-family tracts, while they are prohibited in AG, ATP, ED, IND, OS, and R-1 through R-5 residential districts (R-3/R-4 multi-family can seek a Conditional Use Permit), subject to narrow 2009/2018 grandfather exceptions for properties licensed and taxed before those cutoff dates (Zoning Ordinance Art.

Myrtle Beach, SC2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Myrtle Beach regulates short-term rentals (defined in the zoning code as any rental of a dwelling for less than 90 continuous days) primarily through zoning, not a citywide STR permit.

Galveston, TX2026-07-18 REGULATED

Galveston allows whole-home short-term rentals (stays under 30 days) in every zoning district except R-0 (Restricted Residential, Single-Family), where STRs are prohibited.

Branson, MO2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

As of 2026-07-18, Branson allows whole-home short-term rentals (STRs, defined as any dwelling unit rented for lodging for not less than one night and not more than 30 consecutive days) only in the zoning districts where the use table lists it as permitted — Conservation, Agricultural, Medium-Density Residential, High-Density Residential, Neighborhood Commercial, Community Commercial, Mixed-Use, Downtown, and Entertainment districts — and STRs are flatly prohibited in Low Density Residential, Business, and Industrial districts (Branson Municipal Code Sec.

Hilton Head Island, SC2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Hilton Head Island allows both hosted and unhosted whole-home short-term rentals (stays under 30 days) island-wide; there is no zoning-based ban, though the Town is assessing a possible moratorium on new STR developments as of mid-2025 (proposed, not enacted).

St. Augustine, FL2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Whole-home short-term rentals are legal citywide but zoning district determines the minimum stay: in RS-1 and RS-2 (single-family residential) districts, a grandfathered 2010 rule (recodified by Ordinance 2019-51, effective January 27, 2020) allows rentals only for periods of one week or longer (Sec.

Moab, UT2026-07-18 BANNED (DE FACTO)

Moab bans the creation of new short-term/nightly rentals in essentially every zone: Moab Municipal Code 17.09.700 prohibits STR of dwellings in zones A-2, C-1, C-3, C-5, FW, I-1, R&D-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, RA-1, and every other zone where STR is not an explicitly listed permitted use.

Big Bear Lake, CA2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Whole-home short-term rentals ('vacation rentals,' formerly called TPHR) are legal in Big Bear Lake but require an annual city license under Municipal Code Chapter 4.01 (Ordinance No.

Joshua Tree, CA2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Joshua Tree is unincorporated, so short-term rentals are governed entirely by San Bernardino County Code Chapter 84.28 (Short-Term Residential Rentals), administered by County Land Use Services/Code Enforcement (str.sbcounty.gov) — there is no separate Joshua Tree town ordinance.

Steamboat Springs, CO2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Steamboat Springs requires an annual license (Ord.

Portland, OR2026-07-18 BANNED (DE FACTO)

Portland does not allow non-resident, whole-home short-term rentals: under Portland City Code 33.207 (Accessory Short-Term Rentals, or ASTR), a dwelling can only be rented short-term (stays under 30 consecutive days) if a resident occupies it at least 270 days per calendar year, so an investor who does not live in the unit cannot legally operate it as a whole-home nightly rental in residential zones.

Atlanta, GA2026-07-18 REGULATED

Atlanta regulates short-term rentals (stays of 30 consecutive days or less) under the City of Atlanta Short-Term Rental Ordinance, 20-O-1656 (adopted March 15, 2021; effective September 1, 2021; licensing enforcement began March 5, 2023 after two earlier delays).

Philadelphia, PA2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Philadelphia splits short-term rentals (any stay of 30 consecutive days or less) into two tracks under Bill No.

Phoenix, AZ2026-07-18 REGULATED

Whole-home short-term rentals are legal citywide in Phoenix (state law, A.R.S.

San Antonio, TX2026-07-18 REGULATED

San Antonio requires a Short Term Rental (STR) permit for any dwelling unit rented for less than 30 consecutive days, under City Code Chapter 16, Article XXII (adopted Nov.

Fort Lauderdale, FL2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Fort Lauderdale permits whole-home and hosted short-term rentals (stays of 30 days or less) but subjects every listing to a stacked state-county-city compliance regime under Ordinance C-16-25 (Code of Ordinances Ch.

Tampa, FL2026-07-18 LIGHTLY REGULATED

Tampa has no city-level short-term-rental registration, permit, or license program: the City repealed its general rental-certificate/registration requirement effective May 4, 2023, and a targeted search of Tampa's own zoning code (Chapter 27) turned up no short-term-rental-specific article, unlike some neighboring jurisdictions.

Virginia Beach, VA2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Virginia Beach defines a short-term rental (STR) as a rental of 30 days or less of an entire home (or one or more rooms in a primary home), and where you may legally operate one depends on zoning.

Santa Monica, CA2026-07-18 BANNED

Santa Monica bans unhosted whole-home short-term rentals (called 'vacation rentals' in the code) outright for stays of 30 consecutive days or less — no path to legalize one exists.

Jersey City, NJ2026-07-18 HEAVILY REGULATED

Jersey City defines a short-term rental (STR) as a rental of a residential dwelling for 28 or fewer consecutive days, regulated under Chapter 255 of the Municipal Code (adopted as Ordinance 19-077 on 6/25/2019, upheld by voter referendum 11/5/2019, and substantially amended by Ordinance 25-059 on 6/11/2025).

Boise, ID2026-07-18 LIGHTLY REGULATED

Boise has no short-term rental permit, license, or registration requirement as of 2026-07-18.

Change wire · passed or pending itemsfull wire →
  • 2026-10

    New York, NY — First cycle of OSE short-term rental registration renewals (4-year terms, $145 renewal fee) expected to begin October 2026; OSE may refuse renewal where the host committed acts that are grounds for revocation.

  • 2026-08-12

    Denver, CO — Colorado SB26-116 (Property Tax Modifications) as introduced would have created a state-administered municipal lodging tax framework and barred new/expanded municipal lodging taxes after Jan 1, 2027 outside that framework, and…

  • 2026-07-01

    Miami Beach, FL — HB 7031-E (2026 Special Session), signed as Chapter 2026-239 — omnibus taxation act that includes provisions on 'vacation rental transactions'; per the House Ways & Means analysis it bases the taxes an advertising platform must…

  • 2026-06-23

    Scottsdale, AZ — Scottsdale Ordinance No. 4719: adds a formal 'event center' definition to the Scottsdale Revised Code to strengthen enforcement against STRs used for weddings, corporate events, ticketed parties, and other commercial gatherings…

  • 2026-06-17

    Chicago, IL — Renewal of Restricted Residential Zone designations for 23rd Ward precincts 4, 28, 29, 30 and 32 (prohibiting additional shared housing units and vacation rentals for another 4-year term) - illustrates the ongoing precinct…

  • 2026-05-01

    Chicago, IL — Chicago Tourism Improvement District 1.5% transaction charge effective 5/1/2026 applies only to licensed hotels with 100+ rooms in specified downtown ZIP codes - it does NOT apply to shared housing/vacation rentals, but watch for…

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Where we are today, plainly: 50 city guides live, sources checked and every claim cited to its official source, 0 more in the pipeline. Built by Laniakea Technologies, an AI-operated company with human oversight — every page reviewed against its sources before it ships.