10 verified short-term rentals rules for Idaho Falls, Idaho, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Idaho Falls requires no city permit or application to operate a short-term rental. The city's official STR FAQ states that because an STR is a permitted use in any zone allowing residential use, the operator need not submit an application for review. State law (Idaho Code 67-6539) bars Idaho cities from prohibiting STRs, so Idaho Falls regulates them as ordinary residential uses.
Idaho Falls has no STR-specific noise ordinance. Its STR FAQ makes the host responsible for ensuring the property complies with city regulations, expressly naming nuisance issues such as noise. STR guests are bound by the same general nuisance and noise rules as any resident. Idaho Code 67-6539 lets cities apply reasonable, generally applicable health-and-safety rules, including noise, but not STR-only restrictions.
Idaho Falls charges no city STR permit fee, but lodging taxes apply. Short stays (30 nights or fewer) are subject to Idaho's 6% state sales tax, the 2% state Travel and Convention tax, and the Idaho Falls Auditorium District's 5% tax, a combined lodging tax around 13%. Airbnb collects and remits all three for Idaho listings. Operators must register with the Auditorium District and the Idaho State Tax Commission.
Idaho Falls has no parking rule written specifically for short-term rentals. The city's STR FAQ makes the operator responsible for ensuring the property stays in compliance with city regulations, including legal parking. Guests must park lawfully under the city's general parking and traffic code, the same as any resident. State law allows cities to apply generally applicable parking regulations to STRs but not to single them out.
Idaho Falls sets no STR-specific headcount cap, but its STR FAQ imposes a key restriction: a short-term rental cannot involve more than one guest party at a time. The dwelling is otherwise subject to the same building, housing, and zoning occupancy standards as any residence. State law (Idaho Code 67-6539) requires STRs to be treated as a residential land use, so general residential occupancy rules apply rather than a special STR limit.
Idaho Falls does not require short-term rental operators to carry any specific insurance or liability coverage. The city's STR FAQ imposes no insurance condition because STRs are a permitted residential use needing no application. Idaho Code 67-6539 limits cities to reasonable health-and-safety rules, and Idaho Falls has not adopted an insurance mandate, so coverage is left to the host and any platform.
Idaho Falls sets no annual cap on the number of nights a short-term rental may operate. The city's STR FAQ allows STRs as a permitted residential use in all zones permitting residential use, defining an STR as a stay of less than 30 days, with no limit on stays per year. Idaho Code 67-6539 bars cities from rules that effectively prohibit STRs.
The City of Idaho Falls does not require short-term rental operators to register with the city. However, the city's FAQ directs operators to register for lodging taxes with the Idaho Falls Auditorium District, which collects a transient room tax within its boundaries, and to complete any additional requirements through the State of Idaho. So the only registration is for tax collection, handled by entities other than the city.
Idaho Falls does not require a host or manager to be present during a short-term rental stay. The city's STR FAQ permits both whole-home and partial (room) rentals with no on-site host mandate, though it limits each STR to one guest party at a time. State law (Idaho Code 67-6539) treats STRs as residential land uses and bars cities from effectively prohibiting them, so an absent-owner whole-home rental is allowed.
Idaho Falls does not require a short-term rental to be the operator's primary residence. The city's STR FAQ allows STRs in all zones permitting residential use with no owner-occupancy or primary-residence condition. Idaho Code 67-6539 bars cities from rules that effectively prohibit STRs, and a primary-residence-only mandate would conflict with that, so non-owner-occupied investor STRs are permitted in Idaho Falls.