How to get a short term rental license, step by step

Last updated 2026-07-26

How do I actually get a short term rental license?

The process is similar across most cities that regulate short term rentals, even though the names of the permits differ (some call it a short term rental permit, some a transient occupancy registration, some just fold it into the general rental license). You'll generally do five things: register the property with the city, pay a fee, show proof of insurance and sometimes a local contact person, pass a life-safety inspection or self-certify one, and then post your permit or registration number on any listing site. Start by finding your city's specific ordinance. Search "[your city] short term rental ordinance" or check your city's planning or business license department page directly. Cities that actively enforce this (San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Austin, Nashville, and hundreds of smaller ones) publish a dedicated STR page with the application, fee schedule, and inspection checklist. Most applications ask for: proof of ownership or a lease that permits subletting, a floor plan or unit description, proof of liability insurance, a local or on-call contact who can respond within a set time (often 30 to 60 minutes) if there's a problem, and payment of transient occupancy tax registration alongside the license. Some cities cap the number of nights you can rent a non-owner-occupied unit per year. San Francisco, for example, limits unhosted short term rentals to 90 nights per year unless the host is present. Once approved, you'll get a certificate or number. Airbnb, Vrbo, and most platforms now require you to enter that number when you create or update a listing in a regulated city, so treat the license as a prerequisite to listing, not a formality you can skip and fix later.

What's the difference between a short term rental license and a regular rental license?

A short term rental license covers stays typically under 30 days (sometimes under 28 or 90, depending on the city's definition), while a standard rental license or registration covers long term leases of a month or more. They often live under the same city department but have different rules, fees, and inspection frequency. Short term rental rules tend to be stricter about safety equipment (smoke and CO detectors in every bedroom, fire extinguishers, egress windows) because turnover is constant and guests don't know the building. Long term rental licensing focuses more on habitability basics and lease compliance. Some cities, like Los Angeles under its Home-Sharing Ordinance, require STR hosts to live in the unit as their primary residence for at least six months of the year, which isn't a requirement for standard rental licenses at all ^[1]. If you're converting a long term rental to short term, don't assume your existing rental license covers you. Check whether your city treats short term rental as its own category requiring separate registration, a supplemental permit, or a zoning check, because in a lot of places it does.

How much does a short term rental license cost?

Initial STR license/permit fee	$50 to $500+
Annual renewal fee	$25 to $300
Required inspection fee	$0 to $200
Business license (if separate)	$25 to $150
Transient occupancy/hotel tax	8% to 15% of rental revenue	Budget for the license fee plus at least one inspection cycle, and don't forget the ongoing tax registration, which is a separate filing from the license itself in most cities. If your city requires life-safety upgrades before it will issue the license (hardwired smoke detectors, exterior signage, a fire extinguisher mounted at a specific height), factor that cost in before you apply, not after a failed inspection.

Fees run anywhere from about $50 to $1,000+ depending on the city, and many charge an annual renewal on top of the initial fee. New Orleans charges $150 for a Residential Short Term Rental permit application plus additional fees depending on category, with permits requiring annual renewal ^[2]. Some cities also charge a separate business license fee and require you to collect and remit local transient occupancy or hotel tax, which is a percentage of your rental income (often 8% to 15%) rather than a flat fee. Here's a rough range to plan around, though you should confirm the actual number with your city: | Cost item | Typical range |

Who is responsible for the rental property walk-through inspection in California?

In California, the landlord is responsible for arranging and generally paying for any required rental inspection, whether it's a city-mandated short term rental safety check or the standard move-in/move-out walk-through required for long term tenancies. California Civil Code Section 1950.5 requires landlords to offer tenants an initial inspection before move-out if the landlord intends to withhold any part of the security deposit, giving the tenant a chance to fix issues themselves ^[3]. For short term rentals specifically, cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco may require a self-certification or an actual inspector visit confirming smoke detectors, CO detectors, fire extinguishers, and clear egress paths are in place before the license is issued. The landlord (or their designated local contact) needs to be present or make the unit accessible for that inspection. California law also requires 24 hours advance written notice before a landlord or their agent enters a rental unit for a non-emergency purpose, including inspections, per Civil Code Section 1954 ^[4]. That notice requirement applies during an active tenancy; it's separate from what your city requires for the STR licensing inspection itself, which typically happens between guest stays or before you list the unit.

What can a landlord look at during an inspection?

During a licensing or safety inspection, a city inspector typically checks smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguisher placement and charge, electrical panel condition, window and door egress, exterior stairs and railings, and any posted permit or occupancy information. They are not there to inspect your personal belongings or unrelated areas of the property beyond what's needed to confirm code compliance. During a landlord's own inspection of an occupied unit (separate from a city inspection), the landlord can generally look at the condition of the unit itself: appliances, plumbing, signs of unauthorized occupants or pets, smoke detector function, and general upkeep. A landlord conducting a routine inspection is not permitted to search personal items, go through drawers, or use the visit as pretext to harass a tenant. Most state laws that require entry notice (California's 24-hour rule is one example) also implicitly limit the scope of entry to the stated purpose on the notice ^[4]. For STR units between guest stays, you have more latitude since there's no tenant occupying the space, but the city's inspection checklist (not your own judgment) sets what gets checked for licensing purposes. Ask your city's licensing office for their specific checklist before the inspection date so you're not guessing.

What notice does a landlord have to give before entering?

Most states require landlords to give advance written notice before entering an occupied rental unit for a non-emergency reason, and 24 hours is the most common standard. California requires 24 hours ^[4]. Other states vary: some set 24 hours, some 48 hours, and a handful don't specify a number at all, just "reasonable notice." Emergency entry (fire, flooding, a gas leak, a genuine safety threat) is generally allowed without advance notice in every state, because the point of the notice requirement is to protect tenant privacy during ordinary business, not to block landlords from responding to danger. For short term rentals, this notice requirement mostly doesn't apply in the way people assume, because there's no ongoing tenancy between guest stays. But if you have a long term tenant in a unit and you're trying to get it ready to convert to short term rental, or you need access for a licensing inspection while they're still living there, you still owe them the notice your state requires. Check your specific state's landlord-tenant statute for the exact number of hours, since it is not federally standardized.

Why do landlords require renters insurance for short term rentals?

For short term rentals, the equivalent isn't renters insurance from the guest, it's the host's own short term rental or hosting liability coverage, and cities and platforms increasingly require proof of it as part of licensing. The reasoning is the same logic landlords use with long term tenants: it shifts financial risk for guest injuries, property damage, and liability claims away from just the landlord's homeowner's policy, which often excludes short term rental activity entirely. Many standard homeowner's insurance policies have exclusions for business use, and renting nightly is treated as a business activity by most insurers. That means if you don't get a specific short term rental endorsement or a dedicated STR policy, a claim during a guest's stay could be denied outright. Airbnb's Host protections (AirCover) provide some liability coverage automatically for hosts on the platform, but it has limits and exclusions and isn't a substitute for your own policy ^[5]. For long term rentals, landlords require tenant renters insurance mainly to cover the tenant's own belongings and personal liability (like if the tenant's dog bites a neighbor), since a landlord's dwelling policy typically doesn't cover tenant possessions at all. It's a cheap way to close a liability gap: renters insurance policies commonly run $15 to $30 a month according to industry rate data, which is a small ask relative to what it protects the landlord from.

What rights do tenants have without a lease?

A tenant without a written lease, sometimes called a month-to-month or oral tenancy, still has the same basic legal protections as a tenant with a signed lease in nearly every state. That includes the right to habitable housing, the right to advance notice before entry, and the right to a formal eviction process rather than being removed by the landlord directly (no lockouts, no utility shutoffs, no removing belongings). What changes without a written lease is mainly the terms that would otherwise be spelled out: rent amount, due date, and how much notice either party needs to give to end the tenancy. Most states default month-to-month tenancies to a 30-day notice period to terminate, though some require 60 days once the tenancy has run a year or more (California requires 60 days' notice to end a tenancy that has lasted a year or longer, for instance) ^[4]. This matters for short term rental landlords in a specific way: if you have an existing month-to-month tenant and want to convert the unit to short term rental use, you can't just tell them to leave immediately. You still owe them the statutory notice period for ending the tenancy, and in rent-controlled or just-cause eviction cities, you may need a qualifying reason to end the tenancy at all, more than a business decision to switch to STR use.

What is landlording, and what is a landlord?

A landlord is the owner (or the owner's authorized agent) of real property who rents that property to another person, called a tenant, in exchange for payment. Landlording is the ongoing work of managing that arrangement: collecting rent, maintaining the property, handling repairs, following state and local landlord-tenant law, and dealing with turnover. For someone getting into short term rentals specifically, "landlording" looks a little different from the traditional version. You're not managing a single long term tenant relationship, you're managing a rotating set of short stays, which means more frequent cleaning and turnover, more frequent inspections of the unit's condition, guest communication, and usually more hands-on operational work per dollar of rent collected than a long term lease. If you're new to owning rental property generally, it helps to read up on the basics of landlord responsibilities and how landlord landlords obligations differ by state before you specialize into short term rental rules, since the STR license sits on top of your general landlord obligations, not instead of them.

How do I become a landlord in the first place?

Becoming a landlord starts with owning (or having legal authority to sublease) residential property, then registering with your city or county if local law requires it, getting appropriate insurance, and understanding your state's landlord-tenant statute before you take a single dollar of rent. There's no license required to become a landlord in most of the U.S. for long term rentals; the licensing requirement usually kicks in at the city level for rental registration, and separately for short term rental use. Practical steps, roughly in order: confirm your property is zoned for the rental use you intend (long term vs. short term rental zoning can differ significantly even on the same block), check whether your city requires a rental registration or license at all, get landlord liability insurance or a landlord policy rider, learn your state's required disclosures (lead paint disclosure is federally required for homes built before 1978, for example, under 42 U.S.C. § 4852d ^[6]), and set up a system for handling maintenance requests and rent collection. If your specific goal is short term rental, add: confirm short term rental is legal in your zoning district (a lot of cities restrict or ban it in certain residential zones entirely), apply for the STR-specific license or permit, and register for transient occupancy tax collection separately from any general business license.

What can't a landlord do in Ohio?

Ohio landlord-tenant law (Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321) prohibits several things regardless of whether the rental is long term or short term. A landlord cannot shut off utilities, change the locks, or remove a tenant's belongings to force them out, a practice called self-help eviction, and can't retaliate against a tenant for reporting a code violation or exercising a legal right . Ohio law also requires landlords to give reasonable notice before entering an occupied unit, generally interpreted as 24 hours in practice even though the statute itself uses "reasonable" rather than a fixed number, and requires landlords to keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition, including working plumbing, heat, and structural safety . As the Ohio Revised Code states, a landlord must "maintain in good and safe working order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning fixtures and appliances" supplied in the unit . For short term rental hosts operating in Ohio, none of this goes away just because the stay is a few nights instead of a year. Cities like Columbus and Cincinnati have added their own short term rental registration rules on top of state landlord-tenant law, so an Ohio STR host is subject to both layers: the state's baseline tenant protections during the relevant period plus whatever local licensing ordinance applies.

What happens if I skip the license and just list the property?

Operating without a required short term rental license typically gets you a fine, a cease-and-desist order, or a forced removal of your listing, and in cities with aggressive enforcement, all three. San Francisco has issued fines up to $1,000 per day for unregistered short term rental operation in past enforcement actions, and requires platforms to verify registration numbers before allowing a listing to stay active. New Orleans similarly ties permit numbers to platform compliance and can pursue fines for STR operation without a valid permit ^[2]. Beyond fines, an unlicensed STR operator usually can't collect on a hosting platform's liability protection program the way a licensed host can, since those programs often require compliance with local law as a condition of coverage. That's a real gap: if a guest gets hurt in an unlicensed unit, you may be facing that claim with only your base insurance policy and no platform backstop. The fix is boring but effective: check before you list, not after a complaint or a neighbor's report triggers an inspection. If you want a structured way to pull together what your specific city's application, inspection checklist, and required documents look like, the $79 City Rental License & Inspection Prep Packet walks through what most cities ask for so you're not hunting through a dozen city PDF pages the week before you want to list.

How long does it take to get approved?

Approval timelines run anywhere from about two weeks to several months, depending mostly on whether your city requires an in-person inspection and how backed up that inspection queue is. Cities with high STR volume and active enforcement, like San Francisco and New Orleans, have published processing windows in the range of 30 to 90 days for a complete application, though incomplete applications or ones requiring a corrective inspection take longer ^[2]. The fastest path is submitting a complete application the first time: proof of ownership, insurance certificate, floor plan, local contact information, and any required inspection request, all at once rather than piecemeal. Missing a single document is the single biggest reason applications sit in queue longer than they need to. If you're on a deadline (say, you have bookings already scheduled), call your city's licensing office directly and ask about expedited review options. Some cities offer a faster track for a higher fee; most don't advertise it on the website, so you have to ask.

Frequently asked questions

How do I become a landlord with no experience?

Start by learning your state's landlord-tenant statute and your city's rental registration rules before you take a tenant. Get proper insurance, understand required disclosures (like federal lead paint disclosure for pre-1978 homes), and consider starting with a single unit you can manage closely before scaling up. Many state extension offices and city housing departments publish free landlord guides worth reading first.

Who is responsible for the rental property walk-through inspection in California?

The landlord is responsible for arranging and typically paying for it. California Civil Code Section 1950.5 requires landlords to offer an initial move-out inspection if they intend to withhold deposit money, and Civil Code Section 1954 requires 24 hours notice before any non-emergency entry, including inspections.

What is landlording?

Landlording is the ongoing work of owning and managing rental property: collecting rent, handling maintenance, following landlord-tenant law, managing turnover, and dealing with tenant or guest communication. For short term rentals, it also includes cleaning turnover, guest screening, and local licensing compliance on a rolling basis rather than once a year.

What is a landlord?

A landlord is the owner or authorized agent of a property who rents that property to a tenant or guest in exchange for payment. Landlords take on legal obligations under state landlord-tenant law and, in many cities, local rental licensing or registration requirements as well.

What rights do tenants have without a lease?

Tenants without a written lease (month-to-month tenants) still have habitability rights, entry notice rights, and protection from illegal self-help eviction in nearly every state. What's missing is written proof of rent amount and terms, and the notice period to end the tenancy defaults to state law, often 30 days, sometimes 60 for longer tenancies.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering a unit?

Most states require 24 to 48 hours advance written notice for non-emergency entry. California requires 24 hours under Civil Code Section 1954. Emergency situations (fire, flooding, gas leak) don't require advance notice in any state. Check your specific state's landlord-tenant statute for the exact figure, since it's not federally standardized.

What can a landlord look at during an inspection?

During a city licensing inspection, inspectors check smoke and CO detectors, fire extinguishers, electrical panels, egress routes, and general safety code items, not personal belongings. During a landlord's own inspection of an occupied unit, the scope is limited to the property's condition, not a search of tenant possessions.

Why do landlords require renters insurance?

Renters insurance covers the tenant's personal belongings and personal liability, which a landlord's dwelling policy doesn't cover. It shifts risk away from the landlord if a tenant causes damage or a liability incident. For short term rentals, hosts similarly need their own STR liability coverage since standard homeowner policies often exclude nightly rental use.

What can't a landlord do in Ohio?

Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321, a landlord cannot shut off utilities, change locks, or remove belongings to force a tenant out (self-help eviction), cannot retaliate against a tenant for reporting code violations, and must keep the unit's electrical, plumbing, and heating systems in safe working order.

How much does a short term rental license typically cost?

Fees generally range from about $50 to $500+ for the initial license, with annual renewals often $25 to $300. Some cities add inspection fees and a separate business license fee. On top of that, most cities require collecting transient occupancy or hotel tax, often 8% to 15% of rental revenue, confirm exact rates with your city.

Do I need a separate license for each short term rental unit I own?

In most cities that regulate short term rentals, yes, each unit needs its own registration or license number tied to that specific address, even if you own multiple properties in the same city. Confirm with your city's rental licensing office whether a multi-unit or portfolio license option exists, since a few cities do offer one.

Can I get a short term rental license if I don't live in the unit?

It depends entirely on your city. Some cities, like Los Angeles under its Home-Sharing Ordinance, generally require the host to occupy the unit as a primary residence for at least six months of the year. Other cities allow non-owner-occupied short term rentals but cap annual rental nights or charge higher fees for that category.

What happens if I operate a short term rental without a license?

You typically face fines (some cities charge per day of unlicensed operation), a forced takedown of your listing since platforms increasingly verify registration numbers, and loss of platform liability protections that often require local compliance as a condition of coverage. Enforcement intensity varies a lot by city.

Sources

1. Los Angeles Department of City Planning, Home-Sharing Ordinance: Los Angeles requires home-sharing hosts to occupy the unit as primary residence for at least six months per year
2. California Civil Code Section 1950.5: California requires landlords to offer an initial move-out inspection before withholding security deposit funds
3. California Civil Code Section 1954: California requires 24 hours advance written notice before landlord entry for non-emergency purposes
4. Airbnb, AirCover for Hosts: Airbnb provides limited liability coverage to hosts through AirCover, which has exclusions and is not a substitute for a host's own insurance
5. 42 U.S.C. § 4852d, Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act: Federal law requires lead paint disclosure for residential rentals built before 1978
6. Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321: Ohio landlord-tenant law prohibits self-help eviction and requires landlords to maintain electrical, plumbing, and heating systems in safe working order