Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Rules in St. Louis, MO (2026)

St. Louis, MO allows short-term rentals — commonly listed on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO — subject to local regulations that have evolved significantly since 2015. Hosts must register with the city (Short-Term Rental License) before listing their property. St. Louis regulates STRs to balance tourism revenue with neighborhood quality of life. Key rules cover primary residence requirements, nightly limits, occupancy caps, and tax collection obligations. Hosts who operate without required registration or in violation of city rules face substantial fines. Below are the current registration requirements, rules, platform-specific notes, and penalties for St. Louis.

Registration Requirements

Registration Required: Short-Term Rental License. Registration fee: $200. Annual renewal: $200 annually. Register through the St. Louis Building Division (Community Development Administration) or St. Louis City Planning and Urban Design Agency. Your registration number must be displayed on all platform listings. Failure to register before hosting is a violation subject to fines.

Operational Rules

Short-Term Rental Rules in St. Louis: 1. STR license required for all rentals under 31 consecutive days 2. Primary residence requirement for hosted short-term rentals 3. Whole-home non-primary rentals require separate commercial license in some zones 4. All STR listings must include license number 5. St. Louis imposes a Hotel/Motel Guest Tax on STR revenues 6. Missouri state sales tax collected on STR income 7. Building must meet occupancy and safety standards

• •STR license required for all rentals under 31 consecutive days
• •Primary residence requirement for hosted short-term rentals
• •Whole-home non-primary rentals require separate commercial license in some zones
• •All STR listings must include license number
• •St. Louis imposes a Hotel/Motel Guest Tax on STR revenues
• •Missouri state sales tax collected on STR income
• •Building must meet occupancy and safety standards

Platform-Specific Rules

Platform-Specific Rules in St. Louis: Airbnb: Airbnb collects and remits Missouri state sales tax on behalf of hosts VRBO: Similar platform tax collection Always verify current platform tax collection and remittance policies directly with your platform — these can change without advance notice to hosts.

Penalties for Violations

Penalties for STR Violations in St. Louis: $500-$2,000 per violation for operating without license; License suspension or revocation for code violations; Property tax implications for improper commercial use in residential zones. St. Louis has enforcement mechanisms to identify unlicensed short-term rental listings on platforms. Hosts should ensure all registrations are current and listings display valid registration numbers.

• ⚠$500-$2,000 per violation for operating without license
• ⚠License suspension or revocation for code violations
• ⚠Property tax implications for improper commercial use in residential zones

Frequently Asked Questions