ST. LOUIS — The City of St. Louis is regulating short-term rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo within the city limits.
In a press release, Mayor Tishaura Jones said short-term rental owners and short-term rental platforms must apply for a permit in order to operate in the city. The city has given owners and operators six months to meet the new requirements.
In order to keep their permits, owners will be required to meet certain standards like requiring a minimum stay of two nights, banning rentals as party spaces and requiring working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
The permit requirement is part of Ordinance 71729, which was part of Board Bill 33, which was passed by the board of aldermen last year.
“We heard our community members loud and clear, and now St. Louis City is following national best practices in regulating this industry,” Mayor Tishaura Jones said in a press release. “As a City, we can both encourage tourism and ensure that these rental units are not a nuisance in their neighborhoods.”
The city is also establishing a short-term rental hotline where residents can report short-term rental-related issues. Anyone seeing issues can call 314-798-9245 or post the issue through an online portal.
The call for regulation came after a series of criminal incidents at short-term rental parties, including a shooting in 2023 that left a 17-year-old dead and 11 others injured.
According to data published on the city's website, there are more than 2,000 short-term rental units in the city totaling more than 3,40 listings because units are commonly listed on multiple sites.
On Tuesday, voters in the city also approved a 3% fee on short-term rentals. The money from those fees would go to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and other affordable housing initiatives.
