Saint Paul's Short-Term Rentals: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles short-term rentals a little differently. In Saint Paul, Minnesota, there are 9 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

Saint Paul requires every short-term rental platform to hold a platform license, report listing and rental-night data to the city every quarter, and tell each host that the host is on the hook to collect and remit local, state, and federal taxes unless the platform handles that remittance instead.

Key details: Platform license required: Yes, before operating in the city. Reporting frequency: Quarterly, electronic, by zip code. Reported data: Number of listings and rental nights. Tax duty default: Host, unless platform remits on host's behalf. Enforcing agency: Dept. of Safety and Inspections (DSI).

Operating an unlicensed short-term rental platform violates Sec. 379.02 and can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor under Sec. 310.13. Failing to file the required quarterly zip-code and rental-night reports, or failing to inform registered hosts of their tax-remittance responsibility, violates Sec. 379.06 and can trigger adverse license action, suspension, revocation, or added conditions, by DSI.

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Saint Paul zoning caps short-term rentals at one unit per lot in RL-H1 districts unless the building is an owner-occupied duplex, triplex, or fourplex with the owner living there during the rental. Elsewhere, buildings can have up to four short-term rental units, but exceeding the base allowance requires owner-occupancy too.

Key details: RL-H1 districts: 1 STR unit per lot unless owner-occupied. Other districts: 1 unit, or up to 50%, max 4. Owner-occupied duplex: up to 2 STR units allowed. Owner-occupied fourplex: up to 4 STR units allowed. Residency requirement: owner must reside during the stay.

Operating short-term rental units beyond the owner-occupancy limits in 65.645(a) without a conditional use permit is a zoning code violation. Under Legislative Code Section 61.901, any person violating the zoning code is guilty of a misdemeanor; Section 1.05 sets the penalty ceiling at a $1,000 fine, imprisonment up to 90 days, or both. The zoning administrator in the Department of Safety and Inspections enforces compliance.

Short-Term Rental Permits

Saint Paul STR hosts register through the PAULIE online system with proof of ownership, insurance, Workers Comp, and an Affidavit of Compliance. Listings are banned until licensed.

Key details: Registration Portal: PAULIE online system. Required Documents: 5+ items including insurance and affidavit. Advertising: Prohibited until license is issued. DSI Office: 375 Jackson St, Suite 220. Platform Owners: Affidavits from 25%+ stakeholders.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Saint Paul actively enforces its short-term rental permits requirements.

Taxes & Fees

Saint Paul charges $45 a year for a short-term rental host license, whether the unit is owner- or non-owner-occupied, and $11,181 a year for a short-term rental platform license. Both licenses run one year from issuance, must be renewed annually, and cannot be transferred to a new owner or operator.

Key details: Host license fee: $45.00/year, owner or non-owner occupied. Platform license fee: $11,181.00/year. License term: 1 year, renew annually. Transferability: Licenses are non-transferable. License class: Class R (Chapter 310 procedures).

Operating as a short-term rental host or platform without the required license is unlawful under Sec. 379.02 and is prosecutable as a misdemeanor under Sec. 310.13. DSI can also pursue adverse action, suspension, revocation, or added license conditions, under Chapter 310's uniform procedures, separate from any criminal penalty for unlicensed operation.

Occupancy Limits

Saint Paul caps STR units per building by property type: 1 unit for single-family homes, up to 4 for owner-occupied fourplexes, and 50% (max 4) for larger buildings without a CUP.

Key details: Single-Family: 1 STR unit allowed. Duplex (Owner-Occupied): Up to 2 STR units. 5+ Units: 50% of units, max 4 without CUP. Guest Occupancy: Per building and fire code. Conditional Use: Available for larger operations.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Saint Paul actively enforces its occupancy limits requirements.

Noise Rules

Saint Paul STRs must follow Chapter 293 noise limits: 65 dBA daytime (7 AM-10 PM) and 55 dBA nighttime (10 PM-7 AM). Events and parties are prohibited at STR properties.

Key details: Daytime Limit: 65 dBA (7 AM - 10 PM). Nighttime Limit: 55 dBA (10 PM - 7 AM). Events: Commercial and social events prohibited at STRs. Authority: Chapter 293 of Legislative Code.

Host Presence Rule

Saint Paul doesn't require a host to be on-site, but Sec. 379.01 and Sec. 379.07(b) require a 'responsible party' to be available as a point of contact for the city and the guest for the guest's entire stay, and hosts must give DSI that person's accurate name and contact information.

Key details: Responsible party defined: Sec. 379.01. Local contact duty: Sec. 379.07(b): available for guest's whole stay. DSI reporting duty: Sec. 379.07(i): accurate contact info required. In-unit posting: Sec. 379.07(e)(2): contact info posted conspicuously. Compliance deadline: 5 business days of a DSI request.

A host who fails to provide DSI with accurate responsible-party contact information, or fails to post in-unit local contact information for guests, is out of compliance with Sec. 379.07's mandatory host provisions; DSI can pursue license discipline (suspension, revocation or denial of renewal) as it does for other Chapter 379 host violations, since compliance with subsections (a) through (j) is a condition of holding the host license.

Insurance Requirements

Saint Paul STR hosts need $300,000 aggregate liability insurance via ACORD certificate. Hosts using only Airbnb, VRBO, or HomeAway may rely on platform coverage instead.

Key details: Minimum Coverage: $300,000 aggregate liability. Documentation: ACORD Certificate required. Platform Alternative: Airbnb, VRBO, or HomeAway coverage accepted. Workers Comp: Certificate required with application.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Saint Paul actively enforces its insurance requirements requirements.

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Saint Paul does not impose a minimum parking requirement on short-term rentals; the zoning code instead sets a surface-parking maximum of 2.5 spaces per dwelling unit (2 near transit or in the B4/B5 districts) once a lot has more than 15 spaces.

Key details: STR parking maximum: 2.5 spaces per unit. Near transit / B4-B5: 2 spaces per unit. Table applies when: Lot has more than 15 spaces. Minimum parking required: None set by this table. Governing section: Sec. 63.207, Table 63.207.

Constructing or maintaining surface parking above the Table 63.207 maximum for a short-term rental development of more than 15 spaces without an approved conditional use permit is a zoning code violation under Sec. 61.901, a misdemeanor, with each day of continued violation a separate offense under Sec. 61.904. The zoning administrator can also deny site plan approval under Sec. 63.202 until the parking count is brought into compliance.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Saint Paul gives residents more flexibility on short-term rental parking rules.

The Bottom Line

Saint Paul is tougher than many cities when it comes to short-term rentals. Out of the 9 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Saint Paul, 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 Saint Paul'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.