Las Vegas's Short-Term Rentals: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles short-term rentals a little differently. In Las Vegas, Nevada, there are 11 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Host Platform Liability

Airbnb and other hosting platforms must hold a City accommodations facilitator license, collect room taxes, and pull unlicensed listings within five business days, but that licensed status doesn't itself expand their liability for the rental.

Key details: Facilitator license fee: $3,000 per year. Delisting deadline: 5 business days after notice. Tax-only liability shield: LVMC 6.75.122(B). Unlicensed-listing fine: $1,000-$10,000 per violation.

Facilitating an unlicensed rental: $1,000-$10,000 per violation. Licensed facilitator violations: $1,000 per violation or the nightly rate, whichever is higher.

This is one of the stricter rules in Las Vegas's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Insurance Requirements

Las Vegas requires every short-term rental operator to carry at least $500,000 in general liability insurance and file proof with the Department of Community Development before renting begins.

Key details: Minimum coverage: $500,000 general liability insurance. Insurer requirement: Must be licensed in Nevada. Proof required: Certificate filed before renting starts. Duration: Maintained continuously while license is active.

Failing to maintain or provide proof of the required insurance is a Chapter 6.75 violation. Licensed operators face a $1,000 civil fine per violation; unlicensed short-term rentals draw fines from $1,000 to $10,000 per violation.

Occupancy Limits

Las Vegas caps short-term rental occupancy at two guests per bedroom, local Housing Code limits, or sixteen people total: whichever is lowest.

Key details: Cap: 2 persons/bedroom, kids under 12 excluded. Hard ceiling: 16 persons per unit. Also limited by: Uniform Housing Code figure. Placard required: 8.5x11 in, posted outside. Fine: $1,000 or nightly rate, whichever greater.

Operating over the posted occupancy limit is a violation of LVMC Chapter 6.75. Civil fines under LVMC 6.02.400(C) run $1,000 per violation or the unit's nightly rental value, whichever is greater, for a licensed operator; the Director can also suspend or revoke the STR license for a second violation within 24 months.

Extended Home Share

Stays of 31 nights or longer fall outside Las Vegas Title 6.85 short-term rental regulation. Property owners can rent rooms or whole homes monthly under standard Nevada landlord-tenant law without an STR business license.

Key details: STR threshold: Under 31 nights. Long-term governing law: NRS 118A. License needed for 31+ days: No STR license. Tenant protections trigger: Day 31.

Marketing a property as a 31-plus-day rental while accepting shorter bookings is treated as an unlicensed STR and can incur fines, license denial for two years, and abatement orders.

Las Vegas is more permissive than most cities when it comes to extended home share. That said, there are still limits.

Short-Term Rental Permits

Las Vegas requires a per-unit short-term rental license, owner-occupancy, and a $500 annual fee before you can list a home for stays under 31 days.

Key details: License fee: $500 per year, per unit. Owner-occupancy: Required as primary residence. Insurance: $500,000 general liability minimum. Unlicensed operation fine: $1,000-$10,000 per violation. Apartment buildings: Not eligible for STR license.

Operating without the required Chapter 6.75 license draws a civil fine of not less than $1,000 and up to $10,000 per violation. A licensed operator who breaks other Chapter 6.75 rules faces a $1,000 fine or the nightly rental value, whichever is greater, for each violation.

This is one of the stricter rules in Las Vegas's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Guests at a licensed Las Vegas short-term rental must park on the property itself, not in the adjacent public right-of-way, under LVMC 6.75.090(C), and commercial vehicles are barred from the unit and the street outside except in commercial zones. Occupancy is separately capped by the same Section at two people per bedroom, housing-code limits, or 16 people, whichever is lowest.

Key details: Governing section: LVMC 6.75.090(C). Parking location: On site only, not right-of-way. Commercial vehicles: Barred outside commercial zones. Linked occupancy cap: 2/bedroom, max 16 people. Enforcement: Dept. of Public Safety, 6.75.120.

Parking occupant vehicles in the public right-of-way instead of on site, or keeping a commercial vehicle on an STR property or the street outside a commercial zone, violates LVMC 6.75.090(C) and is punishable under the Title 1 general penalty, LVMC 1.24.010: up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day a separate offense. A second Chapter 6.75 violation on the same unit within 24 months can trigger suspension or revocation of the STR license under 6.75.110.

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Las Vegas only issues short-term rental licenses to owners who occupy the unit as their primary residence during every rental period, per LVMC 6.75.020(C).

Key details: Eligibility: Owner must occupy unit as primary residence. License fee: $500 per unit annually. Units per license: One license per residential unit. Enforcement: Department of Public Safety.

Operating an unlicensed short-term rental, or falsely claiming primary residency, is a licensing violation enforced by the Department of Public Safety and can lead to license denial, suspension, or revocation under LVMC 6.75.110.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Las Vegas actively enforces its primary-residence-only rule requirements.

Noise Rules

Las Vegas confines all amplified sound in short-term rentals indoors and bans renting units for parties, weddings or receptions outright, backed by a 24-hour complaint line and license revocation for repeat violations.

Key details: Amplified sound: Must stay inside the unit. Parties/events: Banned entirely. Max occupancy: 16 persons or 2 per bedroom. Complaint response: 24-hr line, 2-hr response. Repeat violation: License suspension/revocation possible.

Second violation within 24 months can bring license suspension or revocation (LVMC 6.75.110); unresolved code violations otherwise default to the Chapter 1.24 general penalty: up to $1,000 and six months in jail.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Las Vegas actively enforces its noise rules requirements.

Host Presence Rule

Las Vegas only licenses short-term rentals where the owner lives in the home and stays there during every rental.

Key details: Who must be present: Owner, as primary residence. Absence allowed only for: Employment or household errands. Applies to: Every day the unit is rented. Enforced by: Director, Dept. of Business Licensing. License authority: LVMC Chapter 6.75.

Renting out a unit that isn't the owner's actual primary residence, or leaving during a booking for reasons other than work or errands, breaks the owner-occupancy condition tied to the license; repeat violations let the Director suspend or revoke the STR license under LVMC 6.75.110.

Compared to other cities, Las Vegas takes a harder line on host presence rule. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Taxes & Fees

Las Vegas requires a $500 annual license fee per short-term rental unit, plus collection of the city's room tax: 4% to 5% of gross rental revenue depending on unit size, plus a 2% supplemental tax and a 0.5% state-mandated add-on.

Key details: License fee: $500 per unit, per year. Combined room tax: 6.5% of gross rental revenue. Tax remittance deadline: 15th of following month. Required insurance: $500,000 general liability minimum. Unlicensed rental fine: $1,000–$10,000 per violation.

Operating an unlicensed short-term rental draws a civil fine of $1,000 to $10,000 per violation; licensed operators who violate LVMC Chapter 6.75 face a $1,000 fine or the nightly rental value, whichever is greater.

Repeat Violator Strikes

A second short-term rental violation at the same unit within 24 months lets Las Vegas suspend or revoke the license.

Key details: Governing chapter: LVMC Chapter 6.75. Strike window: 24 months per unit. Trigger: 2nd violation of Chapter 6.75. Enforcing office: Dept. of Business Licensing Director. Appeal path: City Council or designee.

Second violation on the same unit within 24 months triggers suspension/revocation review; per-violation civil fines run $1,000-$10,000.

This is one of the stricter rules in Las Vegas's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

The Bottom Line

Las Vegas is tougher than many cities when it comes to short-term rentals. Out of the 11 rules covered here, 6 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Las Vegas, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Las Vegas's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.