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 | Austin, TX | Allowed with permit |
| 2 | Big Bear Lake, CA | Allowed with permit |
| 3 | Branson, MO | Allowed with permit |
| 4 | Camas, WA | Allowed with permit |
| 5 | Cape May, NJ | Allowed with permit |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | Allowed with permit |
| 7 | Dallas, TX | Allowed with permit |
| 8 | Destin, FL | Allowed with permit |
| 9 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Allowed with permit |
| 10 | Fredericksburg, TX | Allowed with permit |
| 11 | Galveston, TX | Allowed with permit |
| 12 | Gatlinburg, TN | Allowed with permit |
| 13 | Gulf Shores, AL | Allowed with permit |
| 14 | Hilton Head Island, SC | Allowed with permit |
| 15 | Horry County, SC | Allowed with permit |
| 16 | Houston, TX | Allowed with permit |
| 17 | Nashville, TN | Allowed with permit |
| 18 | Ocean City, MD | Allowed with permit |
| 19 | Panama City Beach, FL | Allowed with permit |
| 20 | Park City, UT | Allowed with permit |
| 21 | Philadelphia, PA | Allowed with permit |
| 22 | Phoenix, AZ | Allowed with permit |
| 23 | Pigeon Forge, TN | Allowed with permit |
| 24 | Riverside County, CA | Allowed with permit |
| 25 | San Antonio, TX | Allowed with permit |
| 26 | San Bernardino County, CA | Allowed with permit |
| 27 | San Diego, CA | Allowed with permit |
| 28 | Scottsdale, AZ | Allowed with permit |
| 29 | Seattle, WA | Allowed with permit |
| 30 | Sedona, AZ | Allowed with permit |
| 31 | Sevier County, TN | Allowed with permit |
| 32 | South Lake Tahoe, CA | Allowed with permit |
| 33 | Stowe, VT | Allowed with permit |
| 34 | Tampa, FL | Allowed with permit |
| 35 | Vancouver, WA | Allowed with permit |
| 36 | Walton County, FL | Allowed with permit |
| 37 | Yucca Valley, CA | Allowed with permit |
Methodology: ranked from 37 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.