The strictest US cities for short-term rentals (2026)
Ranked by how hard it is to operate a short-term rental, combining legal status with residency requirements and night caps. Strictest first.
| # | City | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit, MI | Banned |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA | Primary residence only |
| 3 | Madison, WI | Primary residence only |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | Primary residence only |
| 5 | Washington, DC | Primary residence only |
| 6 | Baltimore, MD | Primary residence only |
| 7 | Boston, MA | Primary residence only |
| 8 | Bozeman, MT | Primary residence only |
| 9 | Charleston, SC | Primary residence only |
| 10 | Denver, CO | Primary residence only |
| 11 | Las Vegas, NV | Primary residence only |
| 12 | New York, NY | Primary residence only |
| 13 | Orlando, FL | Primary residence only |
| 14 | Asheville, NC | Restricted |
| 15 | Jackson, WY | Restricted |
| 16 | Louisville, KY | Restricted |
| 17 | Portland, OR | Primary residence only |
| 18 | Richmond, VA | Restricted |
| 19 | Sacramento, CA | Restricted |
| 20 | Salt Lake City, UT | Restricted |
| 21 | San Jose, CA | Restricted |
| 22 | Atlanta, GA | Allowed with permit |
| 23 | Bar Harbor, ME | Restricted |
| 24 | Bend, OR | Restricted |
| 25 | Breckenridge, CO | Restricted |
| 26 | Broken Bow, OK | Restricted |
| 27 | Chattanooga, TN | Restricted |
| 28 | Clark County, NV | Restricted |
| 29 | Cleveland, OH | Restricted |
| 30 | Colorado Springs, CO | Restricted |
| 31 | Columbia, SC | Restricted |
| 32 | Fort Worth, TX | Restricted |
| 33 | Honolulu, HI | Restricted |
| 34 | Hot Springs, AR | Restricted |
| 35 | Kansas City, MO | Restricted |
| 36 | Key West, FL | Restricted |
| 37 | Kihei, HI | Restricted |
| 38 | Kissimmee, FL | Restricted |
| 39 | Knoxville, TN | Restricted |
| 40 | Maui County, HI | Restricted |
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.