Is Airbnb Legal in St. Louis? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

License required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

16.929%

Fine for hosting without a permit

$500

Listings showing a permit number

6%

Latest rule change

Apr 24, 2026

Listing figures: AirROI, 12 months to October 2026. A number on a listing doesn't prove the permit or license is valid, and a missing one doesn't prove there is none.

The rules in brief

Who needs it

Every operator who offers one or more short-term rental units, whole or in part, for 30 days or less in the city, whether an owner or an authorized tenant.^{1,2,9,10,13,14}

Issued by

City of St. Louis, Office of the License Collector

Valid for

The License Collector does not issue or renew the license while city taxes are owed. The 3% license fee is filed and paid quarterly on April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31.

Platform checks

No platform checks the business license today. Ordinance 71729 would require platforms to hold a $500 city permit, show each host's permit number and remove unpermitted listings within seven days of a city notice, but the city is not enforcing it while the court order is in effect.

Fees

Who qualifies

• One license covers all of an operator's units in the city, and the 3% fee applies to the rent on every unit.
• No license is issued or renewed while the applicant owes city taxes.
• Hotels and motels, permitted bed and breakfasts, RV parks and campgrounds, institutional dwellings, ongoing month-to-month tenancies and home exchanges with no payment are not short-term rentals.
• The license does not replace any other business license, permit or registration the business needs.
• The separate Building Division permit under Ordinance 71729 (occupied or non-occupied) is not being accepted or issued while the court order is in effect.

How to apply

1. 1 Confirm the unit is a short-term rental: a dwelling unit rented in whole or in part for 30 days or less.
2. 2 Clear any unpaid city taxes, because the License Collector will not issue a license while city tax liability is outstanding.
3. 3 Apply for the Short-Term Rental Business License through the Office of the License Collector (City Hall, 1200 Market Street, Room 102-104; lco@stlouis-mo.gov; 314-622-4528), listing the location of every short-term rental unit.
4. 4 Each quarter, file the short-term rental tax return showing the nights rented and the base rent collected, and pay 3% of the base rent by April 30, July 31, October 31 or January 31.
5. 5 File the quarterly Convention and Tourism hotel and motel tax return for any bookings that Airbnb does not collect on, such as direct bookings and other platforms.

Permit rules

Business license required for every operator

Beginning 60 days after Ordinance 72095 took effect on February 23, 2026, no operator may offer or operate a short-term rental in St. Louis without a current Short-Term Rental Business License from the Office of the License Collector.^1,2,14 In force since April 24, 2026

No license while city taxes are owed

The License Collector does not issue or renew a short-term rental business license unless the applicant is current on all city tax liabilities.^2,14 In force since February 23, 2026

Platforms collect the 3% fee only by agreement

The License Collector may sign voluntary collection agreements with booking platforms. Unless one is in effect, the operator alone is responsible for collecting and remitting the 3% fee, and an operator is not penalized when a platform with an agreement fails to remit.^2,14 In force since February 23, 2026

Building Division permit on hold by court order

A court order of April 22, 2025 bars the city from enforcing Ordinance 71729, which requires a Building Division permit for each short-term rental. The city's pages state it is not enforcing the permit requirements while the order is in effect.^9,10 In force since April 22, 2025

Applications, inspections and permits paused

While the order stands, the city has paused accepting permit applications, inspections, permit issuance, conditional use permits for Single Family A districts and collection of the Ordinance 71729 permit fee.¹⁰ In force since April 22, 2025

Permit number on each listing (when permits resume)

Under Ordinance 71729 the permit number must appear on each online listing. Airbnb's St. Louis page tells hosts to add the permit number to the listing once the city issues it.^3,18 Applies to: Permit holders (permit ordinance, on hold) · In force since November 6, 2024

Platforms need a $500 city permit

Ordinance 71729 requires each booking platform to hold a city permit (application fee $500), to limit St. Louis listings to permitted units and to remove a listing within seven days of a city notice that its permit was lost or revoked. This is among the requirements the city is not enforcing.^3,9 Applies to: Booking platforms (permit ordinance, on hold) · In force since November 6, 2024

No state permit for a single rental home

Missouri's state lodging license covers lodging establishments with five or more guest rooms. A typical rental home is licensed by its city, which in St. Louis means the business license.^5,6

Occupied permit: primary residence only

Under Ordinance 71729 an occupied permit is available only for the applicant's primary residence, and a resident may have only one principal residence. The owner or a tenant authorized by the owner can apply.^3,9 Applies to: Occupied rentals (permit ordinance, on hold) · In force since November 6, 2024

Non-occupied: up to four units per owner, natural persons only

Under Ordinance 71729 one owner can hold permits for no more than four non-occupied short-term rental units in the city, and permits go only to natural persons, not to business entities.^3,9 Applies to: Non-occupied rentals (permit ordinance, on hold) · In force since November 6, 2024

Building caps on non-occupied units

Under Ordinance 71729 a two-unit building can have two short-term rentals and a three-unit building only one; a four-unit building can have one occupied and one non-occupied rental; and non-occupied units are capped at 25% of the units in buildings of 5 to 23 units and 12.5% in buildings of 24 or more.^3,9 Applies to: Multi-unit buildings (permit ordinance, on hold) · In force since November 6, 2024

Single Family A districts: conditional use hearing

Short-term rentals are allowed in every zoning district except Single Family A, where they are a conditional use, so applicants there complete a Conditional Use hearing. The zoning rule became law on December 10, 2024.^4,11 Applies to: Single Family A zoning districts · In force since December 10, 2024

No permits on tax-incentive parcels

Under Ordinance 71729 a unit in a structure, or on a parcel, that benefits from tax increment financing or tax abatement cannot receive a permit.⁹ Applies to: Permit holders (permit ordinance, on hold) · In force since November 6, 2024

Leases, condo and HOA rules still apply

A city license or permit does not override a lease or a condo, co-op or HOA rule. Ordinance 71729 has applicants affirm that nothing in a homeowner association agreement, condominium bylaws, covenant or lease bars short-term rentals.^3,18

3% license fee on base nightly rent

Operators pay a license fee of 3% of the base nightly rent for every short-term rental unit, counted before cleaning charges, other fees, platform service fees and taxes. The fee is imposed on the operator.^2,14 In force since February 23, 2026

Quarterly returns by April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31

Operators file a return each quarter that reports the nights rented and the base rent collected, and pay the 3% fee by April 30 (January to March), July 31 (April to June), October 31 (July to September) or January 31 (October to December).^2,14 In force since February 23, 2026

Rentals of 30 days or less

A short-term rental is the rental of a dwelling unit, in whole or in part, for 30 days or less. Hotels and motels, permitted bed and breakfasts, RV parks and campgrounds, institutional dwellings, ongoing month-to-month tenancies and home exchanges with no payment are excluded.^2,14 In force since February 23, 2026

Two-night minimum stay

Under Ordinance 71729 a permit is not granted to a unit that offers a stay of less than two nights, and a permitted unit must keep the two-night minimum.^9,11 Applies to: Permit holders (permit ordinance, on hold) · In force since November 6, 2024

Guest numbers follow the occupancy limit

Under Ordinance 71729 the number of guests is limited to the occupancy limit that the Building Commissioner sets under the city's Residential Code.^3,9 Applies to: Permit holders (permit ordinance, on hold) · In force since November 6, 2024

No parties, receptions or meetings; no food service

Under Ordinance 71729 a short-term rental cannot be rented or offered as reception, party or meeting space, and the host may not provide food service beyond prepackaged foods and beverages.^3,9 Applies to: Permit holders (permit ordinance, on hold) · In force since November 6, 2024

A 24/7 agent within one hour

Under Ordinance 71729 each rental needs a designated Short-Term Rental Agent who answers concerns at all hours and can be at the address within one hour, and the rules must be posted in the unit.^3,9,18 Applies to: Permit holders (permit ordinance, on hold) · In force since November 6, 2024

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and extinguishers

Under Ordinance 71729 the unit needs working smoke detectors inside and outside every bedroom, carbon monoxide alarms outside every bedroom, and a charged fire extinguisher on every habitable floor, and a building inspection is part of the permit.^9,11 Applies to: Permit holders (permit ordinance, on hold) · In force since November 6, 2024

Three violation notices in 24 months end the permit

Under Ordinance 71729, three violation notices at one property within 24 consecutive months lead the city to revoke its permits and reject new applications for that property for up to 12 months. A permit holder has 30 days to fix violations.^9,11 Applies to: Permit holders (permit ordinance, on hold) · In force since November 6, 2024

Hotel and motel taxes apply to home rentals

The city's 3.5% Convention and Sports Tax and 3.75% Convention and Tourism Tax apply to transient home rentals booked through online providers such as Airbnb, as well as to hotels and motels.¹²

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$140

Taxes on that night (16.929%)

$24

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$164

What the host still handles

• A St. Louis Short-Term Rental Business License from the Office of the License Collector, with quarterly short-term rental tax returns for the 3% fee (due April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31)
• A Missouri sales tax account with the Department of Revenue (MyTax Missouri), because the department treats the room operator as the seller even when rooms are booked through third-party sites
• The quarterly Convention and Tourism hotel and motel tax return with the License Collector for bookings Airbnb does not collect on, such as direct bookings and other platforms
• Any other city business license the business needs, since the short-term rental license does not replace it^{2,7,8,12,13,14,15,16,17,19}

• Operating without the short-term rental business license, or otherwise violating Ordinance 72095, is punishable by a fine of $250 to $500 per violation, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense.^2,14
• Permit ordinance: a fully adjudicated municipal court violation at a short-term rental is fined $500, and each day of a continuing violation is a separate offense. The city is not enforcing the permit requirements while the court order is in effect.^9,10
• Permit ordinance: three violation notices at one property within 24 months lead to revocation of its permits and a bar on new applications for up to 12 months.⁹
• Hotel and motel taxes not paid within 30 days after a calendar quarter ends draw interest of 2% a month and a penalty of 1% a month.¹²

1. April 24, 2026
   Short-term rental business license required

   Sixty days after the effective date of Ordinance 72095, no operator may offer or operate a short-term rental without a current Short-Term Rental Business License.^1,2,14

2. February 23, 2026
   Business license and 3% fee ordinance takes effect

   Ordinance 72095 took effect on February 23, 2026. It requires every short-term rental operator to hold a business license and pay a 3% fee on base nightly rent each quarter.^1,13

3. June 9, 2025
   Judge narrows the order (reported)

   St. Louis Magazine reported in October 2025 that a June 9, 2025 ruling would let the city enforce most of Ordinance 71729 without charging the $150 fee or limiting permits to natural persons. The city's pages still say it is not enforcing the permit requirements.^9,20

4. April 22, 2025
   Court order stops enforcement of the permit ordinance

   A court order of April 22, 2025 prohibited the city from enforcing Ordinance 71729, and the city paused permit applications, inspections, permit issuance and fee collection.¹⁰

5. December 10, 2024
   Conditional use rule for Single Family A districts

   The zoning rule requiring a Conditional Use hearing for short-term rentals in Single Family A districts became law on December 10, 2024 (Ordinance 71940).^4,11

6. November 6, 2024
   Permit ordinance takes effect

   Ordinance 71729 took effect on November 6, 2024 and permit applications opened, with a deadline of May 6, 2025.^9,11

7. November 2024
   Voters approve Proposition S

   St. Louis voters approved Proposition S in November 2024, authorizing a 3% fee on the nightly rate of short-term rentals.^2,14

8. April 30, 2024
   Board of Public Service issues short-term rental rules

   The Board of Public Service promulgated rules for the permit program on April 30, 2024.^9,11

9. November 2023
   St. Louis adopts its short-term rental permit ordinance

   Ordinance 71729 became law in November 2023 with the signature of Mayor Jones and requires a Building Division permit for each short-term rental.⁹

Estimate what a St. Louis home could earn

1. 1. Ordinance 72095 - Short Term Rentals · City of St. Louis
2. 2. Ordinance 72095 (Board Bill 126, full text) · City of St. Louis
3. 3. Ordinance 71729 - Short-Term Rentals (full text) · City of St. Louis
4. 4. Ordinance 71940 - Short Term Rentals (zoning, Single Family A conditional use) · City of St. Louis
5. 5. RSMo Section 315.005 - Definitions (lodging establishments) · Missouri Revisor of Statutes
6. 6. RSMo Section 315.011 - License required · Missouri Revisor of Statutes
7. 7. Sales/Use Tax · Missouri Department of Revenue
8. 8. Vacation Home Rentals Tax Matrix (industry guidance) · Missouri Department of Revenue
9. 9. Short-Term Rental Permits · City of St. Louis Building Division
10. 10. Notice: Short Term Rental Permit Applications Paused Due to Court Order · City of St. Louis Building Division
11. 11. Short-Term Rental Permits Frequently Asked Questions · City of St. Louis Building Division
12. 12. Hotel/Motel Room Tax · City of St. Louis License Collector
13. 13. Short-Term Rental Tax Information · City of St. Louis License Collector
14. 14. Short-Term Rental Business License & 3% License Fee (notice, March 2026) · City of St. Louis License Collector
15. 15. Sales and Use Tax Rate Tables, October-December 2026 · Missouri Department of Revenue
16. 16. Airbnb And License Collector Announce Voluntary Tax Agreement · City of St. Louis License Collector
17. 17. Hotels: courtesy letter on room-rental sales tax (December 17, 2024) · Missouri Department of Revenue
18. 18. St. Louis, MO · Airbnb Help Center
19. 19. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Missouri · Airbnb Help Center
20. 20. Short-term rental regulations languish in St. Louis, despite judge's go-ahead · St. Louis Magazine