Effective December 2, 2017, Short Term Rentals (STRs) will be allowed throughout the City of Saint Paul.
By ordinance, a Short Term Rental:
- Consists of a dwelling, or portion of a dwelling unit, rented for a period of less than thirty days.
- Cannot be used for commercial or social events.
- Cannot be advertised unless they are compliant with the city, state, and federal law. This includes listing on any online website or platform.
- Hosts and platforms are required to obtain a City License and renew it annually
Short Term Rental Requirements
To learn more about the Short Term Rental Requirements for each property type, please use the following table and the other resources provided below.
| Property Type |
# of STR Dwelling Units Allowed * |
Occupancy per Dwelling Unit ** |
License Required | Fire Certificate of Occupancy Required (Fire C of O) | License Application Requirements (All required at Submission of license application) |
| Single Family Building (Owner Occupied) |
1 | Zoning and Building Code | Yes | No | - Application and fee - Proof of Insurance |
| Single Family Building (Non-Owner Occupied) |
1 | Zoning and Building Code | Yes | Yes |
- Application and fee
|
| Duplex Building (Either Unit Owner Occupied) |
2 | Zoning and Building Code | Yes - one per STR dwelling unit | No | - Application and fee - Proof of Insurance |
| Duplex Building (No Unit Owner Occupied) |
1 | Zoning and Building Code | Yes - one per STR dwelling unit | Yes | - Application and fee - Proof of Insurance - Fire C Of O paperwork *** |
| Triplex Building (Any Unit Owner Occupied) |
3 | Zoning and Building Code | Yes - one per STR dwelling unit | For all non-owner occupied units |
- Application and fee - Proof of Insurance - Fire C Of O paperwork *** |
| Triplex Building (No Unit Owner Occupied) |
1 | Zoning and Building Code | Yes - one per STR dwelling unit | For all non-owner occupied units |
- Application and fee - Proof of Insurance - Fire C Of O paperwork *** |
| Four-Plex Building (Any Unit Owner Occupied) |
4 | Zoning and Building Code | Yes - one per STR dwelling unit | For all non-owner occupied units |
- Application and fee - Proof of Insurance - Fire C Of O paperwork *** |
| Four-Plex Building (No Unit Owner Occupied) |
1 (RL-RT1 Zoning Districts) 2 (All other Zoning Districts) |
Zoning and Building Code | Yes - one per STR dwelling unit | For all non-owner occupied units |
- Application and fee - Proof of Insurance - Fire C Of O paperwork *** |
| Building with more than Four Units | 50% of dwelling units up to 4 | Zoning and Building Code | Yes - one per STR dwelling unit | For all non-owner occupied units |
- Application and fee - Proof of Insurance - Fire C Of O paperwork *** |
* The number of short term rental dwelling units may exceed 4 if a building owner obtains a conditional use permit for a larger number of units.
** The zoning occupancy limit of any short term rental dwelling unit may be exceeded with a conditional use permit, on a case by case basis,
for large one and two family-dwellings on large lots.
*** Fire C of O paperwork means either:
A) Application and Fee OR B) Documentation of Active Fire C of O
Short Term Rental Licensing
To learn more about licensing requirements for Short Term Rental Hosts and Platforms, please click the following:
Link to other resources for STR Requirements:
Short Term Rental Licensing Ordinance
Short Term Rental Zoning Ordinance
Short Term Rental Lodging and Sales Tax