New Orleans short-term rental laws (2026)
A short-term rental is legal in New Orleans only with two city permits. For a non-commercial rental, whoever runs it has to live on the lot.[1]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified September 14, 2026.
Is Airbnb legal in New Orleans?
Legal, with two city permits
You need an owner permit and an operator permit. Non-commercial rentals get one permit per block, with the operator living on site.
9 official sources · verified September 14, 2026
Photo: Mary Hammel on Unsplash
- PermitRequired · $500 owner, $150 operator a year
- Primary residenceVaries
- Number on listingRequired
- Night capNone published
New Orleans short-term rental permit
New Orleans asks for two permits: an owner permit for the property and an operator permit for the person who runs it. For a non-commercial rental, the city issues a single permit per block. When several complete applications compete, a lottery picks the winner. The lottery is live-streamed. The operator lives on the lot, is there during every stay, and keeps one bedroom out of the listing. Guests are capped at six, across three bedrooms. The owner permit costs $500 a year, the operator permit $150, and the city adds $12 for every night rented.[1]
Every New Orleans rule, sorted by what it asks
Filter by topic. Each line carries the number of its official source, listed at the bottom of the page.
You must
- Hold an owner permit and name an operator, 18 or older, with a permit per unit[1]
- Complete the city's short-term rental course before applying and renewing[1]
- Apply with platform list and floor, evacuation, parking, noise, sanitation plans[1]
- Show both permit numbers, ADA access, bedrooms and occupancy on every listing[1]
- Renew in the renewal period and pay fees within five days of approval[4]
- Commercial: request a non-structural renovation permit first[3]
- Non-commercial: reserve one bedroom on the lot for the operator only[2]
- Non-commercial: look like a residential home, with no signs[2]
- Non-commercial: have the operator live on the lot and be on site every stay[1][2]
- Have the operator on call during stays and resolve complaints within 1 hour[1]
- Post the evacuation diagram, trash days and city complaint contact[1]
- Commercial: have a noise monitoring device[3]
- Have working smoke detectors inside and outside every bedroom[1]
- Have carbon monoxide alarms outside every bedroom, an extinguisher per floor[1]
- Carry $1,000,000 commercial general liability per occurrence, per unit[1]
- Remit taxes and the $12 nightly fee unless a platform collects them[1]
You must not
- Apply with unpaid city taxes, fines or fees on the property[1]
- Advertise more than one permitted unit in a listing[1]
- Operate a non-commercial rental outside the listed districts[2]
- Exceed one non-commercial permit per city block or per lot[2]
- Non-commercial: apply on a block that has a bed and breakfast[2][6]
- Own any part of more than one non-commercial rental property[2]
- Rent a unit whose HOA, condo or deed rules bar short-term rentals[1]
- Non-commercial: exceed 3 guest bedrooms, 2 guests a bedroom or 6 guests[2]
- Rent by the hour, for less than one night, or to 2 parties at once[1]
Not required
Stays of 30 days or more in New Orleans
- New Orleans allows short-term rentals in certain zones only. A stay of 30 consecutive days or more is not a short-term rental under its rules.[1]
- At that length, a guest can gain tenant rights, and lodging tax and insurance work differently.
What a new permit costs
Non-commercial owner and operator permits, full yearly fees
$650yearly permit fees
- Owner permit$500
- Operator permit$150
What other cases cost
- Application, new or renewal$50
- Commercial owner permit$1,000
- Commercial operator permit$1,000
Lottery winners pay prorated first-year fees: 75% in October, 50% in January and 25% in April.[4]
How to apply in New Orleans
Official name: Short-term rental owner permit (Type N or Type C) and operator permit
- 1
Check that the property is in a district that allows non-commercial permits and that its block has no existing permit or bed and breakfast.[6]
- 2
Complete the city's course, and have your operator get an operator license or its application reference number.[6]
- 3
Submit the application in the One Stop App during a quarterly application period, with the $50 fee.[5]
- 4
When more than one complete application is filed for a block, a live-streamed lottery sets the order.[4]
- 5
If selected, pay all permit fees within five calendar days, or the permit goes to the next applicant.[4]
- 6
Display the permit where it can be seen from the street, and give platforms your permit details exactly as printed.[1]
Five jurisdictions, same questions
The New Orleans column comes from the official sources on this page. The other columns show the headline rule from each WonderGuest page. Open a page for the full detail.
| Question | New Orleans | Grand Isle | Baton Rouge | Nashville | Denver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit | Required$500 owner, $150 operator a year | Not required | Required$100 | Required$313 permit fee, 12 months | Required$50 application, $100 license |
| Primary residence | Varies | Not published | Not required | Varies | Required |
| Night cap | None published | None published | No night cap in the zoning code | None published | None published |
| Number on listing | Required | Not published | Not published | Required | Required |
| Occupancy tax | 6.75% STR tax, Airbnb collects | 8.75% | 16.5% | Airbnb collects occupancy taxes | 10.75% lodger's tax, Airbnb collects |
| Grand Isle short-term rental rules | Baton Rouge short-term rental rules | Nashville short-term rental rules | Denver short-term rental rules |
Coming up
What's changing
No change with an effective date appears in the official sources on this page as of September 14, 2026.
FAQ
New Orleans short-term rental questions
Can you do short-term rentals in New Orleans?
Why did Airbnb sue New Orleans?
How many short-term rentals are allowed per block in New Orleans?
Do I have to live at my New Orleans short-term rental?
Sources
- City Code chapter 26, article XI, standards for short-term rentals, City of New Orleans, read on September 14, 2026
- Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance § 21.8.C.18, non-commercial short-term rental, City of New Orleans, read on September 14, 2026
- Short Term Rental Administration, City of New Orleans, read on September 14, 2026
- Short-term rental permit lotteries (rule DSP 23-01), City of New Orleans, Department of Safety and Permits, read on September 14, 2026
- Non-commercial short-term rental application FAQs, City of New Orleans, read on September 14, 2026
- Non-commercial short-term rental application review checklist, City of New Orleans, Short Term Rental Administration, read on September 14, 2026
- Overview of short-term rentals in New Orleans, City of New Orleans, read on September 14, 2026
- Bodin v. New Orleans City, No. 25-30524 (5th Cir. August 5, 2026), United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, read on September 14, 2026
- Occupancy tax collection and remittance in Louisiana, Airbnb Help Center, read on September 14, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on September 14, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
Airbnb host fee calculator
What Airbnb takes on a booking under the 15.5% host-only fee or the old split fee, what the guest pays on top, and the payout that reaches you.
Airbnb income calculator
Nightly rate, occupancy, Airbnb fee, management, mortgage, taxes and depreciation. You get cash flow, cash-on-cash return and what is left after the IRS.
Airbnb cleaning checklist generator
Build a printable turnover checklist by room, with restock, photos to take and a place for the cleaner to sign. Free PDF, no sign-up.