The easiest US cities to run an Airbnb (2026)
The most permissive covered markets: little or no permitting and few restrictions. Easiest first.
| # | City | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harrisburg, PA | Unregulated |
| 2 | Albany, NY | Allowed, no permit required |
| 3 | Boise, ID | Allowed, no permit required |
| 4 | Charlotte, NC | Allowed, no permit required |
| 5 | Kill Devil Hills, NC | Allowed, no permit required |
| 6 | Springfield, IL | Allowed, no permit required |
| 7 | Austin, TX | Allowed with permit |
| 8 | Baton Rouge, LA | Allowed with permit |
| 9 | Big Bear Lake, CA | Allowed with permit |
| 10 | Branson, MO | Allowed with permit |
| 11 | Camas, WA | Allowed with permit |
| 12 | Cape May, NJ | Allowed with permit |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | Allowed with permit |
| 14 | Cincinnati, OH | Allowed with permit |
| 15 | Columbus, OH | Allowed with permit |
| 16 | Dallas, TX | Allowed with permit |
| 17 | Davenport, FL | Allowed with permit |
| 18 | Destin, FL | Allowed with permit |
| 19 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Allowed with permit |
| 20 | Fredericksburg, TX | Allowed with permit |
| 21 | Galveston, TX | Allowed with permit |
| 22 | Gatlinburg, TN | Allowed with permit |
| 23 | Gulf Shores, AL | Allowed with permit |
| 24 | Hilton Head Island, SC | Allowed with permit |
| 25 | Horry County, SC | Allowed with permit |
| 26 | Houston, TX | Allowed with permit |
| 27 | Indianapolis, IN | Allowed with permit |
| 28 | Jacksonville, FL | Allowed with permit |
| 29 | Lansing, MI | Allowed with permit |
| 30 | Memphis, TN | Allowed with permit |
| 31 | Milwaukee, WI | Allowed with permit |
| 32 | Nags Head, NC | Allowed with permit |
| 33 | Nashville, TN | Allowed with permit |
| 34 | North Conway, NH | Allowed with permit |
| 35 | Ocean City, MD | Allowed with permit |
| 36 | Olympia, WA | Allowed with permit |
| 37 | Panama City Beach, FL | Allowed with permit |
| 38 | Park City, UT | Allowed with permit |
| 39 | Philadelphia, PA | Allowed with permit |
| 40 | Phoenix, AZ | Allowed with permit |
Methodology: ranked from 40 covered US markets whose rules are human-verified against official sources. Rankings update automatically as the underlying data is re-verified. Informational only — not legal, tax, or financial advice.