Short-Term Rentals in Lexington, KY (2026)

10 verified short-term rentals rules for Lexington, Kentucky, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Short-Term Rental Permits

No one may own a short-term rental in Lexington-Fayette County without a special fees license from the Division of Revenue. Applicants must supply contact and emergency-contact information, a site and floor plan, proof of $1 million liability insurance, planning approval, and safety affidavits before the license is issued.

Lexington Short-Term Rental License Requirement

Significant Restrictions

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Code of Ordinances § 13-77

No person shall own a short-term rental in Lexington-Fayette County unless the person possesses a valid special fee license for the short-term rental issued by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Division of Revenue, as provided in section 13-13 of the Code and this article. ... All short-term rental special fee licenses and renewals shall expire upon the earlier of (1) December 31st...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Noise Rules

Lexington short-term rental licensees may not host weddings, parties or other private events between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and commercial special events are banned at any hour. Private events held within those hours, or any event exceeding the unit's maximum occupancy, put the licensee's registration at risk.

Lexington Bans Late-Night STR Parties

Some Restrictions

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Code of Ordinances § 13-79

Short-term rentals shall not be utilized for private events, such as weddings or parties, in which the number of participants exceeds the maximum occupancy limit described in this section. No private events, such as weddings or parties, shall occur between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Special events for a commercial purpose shall be prohibited at all times;

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Hosting platforms operating in Lexington-Fayette County must collect and remit transient room tax on every booking they process; if a platform does not collect it, the licensee owner must collect and pay it directly. Licensees separately owe occupational license fees on the net profits their short-term rentals earn.

Lexington STR Transient Room Tax Duty

Some Restrictions

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Code of Ordinances § 13-78

Pursuant to section 2-172 of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Code of ordinances, each hosting platform shall be required to collect and pay to the urban county government all transient room taxes on all rent charged or collected by the hosting platform. If rent is not charged or collected by a hosting platform, the licensee shall be required to collect and pay to the urban county ...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Lexington-Fayette short-term rental applicants must submit a site plan showing exactly how many vehicles the property can legally park without spilling onto the street, sidewalk, alley or right-of-way: a Sec. 13-77 condition for the special fee license.

Lexington STR Site Plan Parking Rule

Some Restrictions

Lexington-Fayette County Code of Ordinances § 13-77

A site plan and floor plan depicting the short-term rental, including the number of vehicles that can be legally parked on the property, without encroaching onto the street, sidewalks, alleys, public rights of way or public property;

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Occupancy Limits

A Lexington short-term rental may hold only the maximum number of occupants set in its conditional use permit, or otherwise the applicable Zoning Ordinance limit for that zone. Any permanent resident present during a stay counts toward that cap, and the limit must be posted inside the unit and stated in every advertisement.

Lexington Short-Term Rental Occupancy Cap

Some Restrictions

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Code of Ordinances § 13-79

May be occupied by the maximum number of individuals provided in the licensee's conditional use permit, if applicable, or otherwise the Zoning Ordinance, as applicable in the relevant zone. Any permanent resident of the dwelling unit present during the short-term rental period shall count toward the maximum occupancy; ... Short-term rentals shall not be utilized for private events, such as wedd...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Insurance Requirements

Every Lexington-Fayette short-term rental license application must include proof of at least $1,000,000 in general liability insurance per occurrence, and Sec. 13-77 requires that coverage to stay continuously in force for as long as the license is active.

Lexington STR $1 Million Insurance Rule

Some Restrictions

Lexington-Fayette County Code of Ordinances § 13-77

A certificate of insurance or other valid proof of general liability insurance in the amount not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) per occurrence, which shall remain in effect at all times while engaged in the licensed activity;

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

A hosted short-term rental in Lexington-Fayette requires the primary resident to keep living on the property while paying guests are there. Sec. 13-76 draws the hosted-versus-un-hosted line entirely on whether the host stays, and both categories still need the Sec. 13-77 special fee license.

Lexington STR Host Must Stay On-Site

Some Restrictions

Lexington-Fayette County Code of Ordinances § 13-76

Hosted short-term rental shall mean a short-term rental in which the dwelling unit utilized as the short-term rental, or another dwelling unit on the subject property, is a primary residence, and the primary resident continues to occupy the property while the short-term rental is being rented to a transient guest... Un-hosted short-term rental shall mean a short-term rental in which the dwellin...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Lexington-Fayette limits an individual to one primary residence, and Sec. 13-76 requires 275 days of actual occupancy a year before a property counts as that primary residence for short-term rental purposes: the threshold hosted STR status depends on.

Lexington STR Primary Residence Rule

Some Restrictions

Lexington-Fayette County Code of Ordinances § 13-76

Primary residence shall mean the permanent residence or the usual place of return for housing of the owner of the short-term rental, the operator of the short-term rental, or an individual who otherwise consents to be an agent of the owner or operator for the purposes of this article, as documented by the following: One of the following: Un-expired driver's license; or Current voter registratio...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Repeat Violator Strikes

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government revokes a short-term rental's special fees license once the licensee or the property is found in violation of the STR ordinance two or more times within one license term. A revoked license bars reapplication for that same dwelling unit for a full year, on top of escalating civil fines.

Lexington STR License Revoked After 2 Violations

Significant Restrictions

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Code of Ordinances § 13-77

The Director may revoke the registration of any short-term rental for any of the following reasons: When any one of the circumstances provided in section (h), above, occurs; When the licensee or the short-term rental has been found to be in violation of sections13-76 through 13-82 two (2) or more times during the relevant license term. A licensee whose special fees license is revoked is not eli...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Platform Liability

Only short-term rentals registered under Lexington's licensing article may be advertised for stays under 30 days on a hosting platform. Every such ad must display the rental's local registration number and state its maximum occupant count, plus a warning that guests cannot bring more people than that limit allows.

Lexington Hosting Platform Advertising Rules

Light Restrictions

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Code of Ordinances § 13-80

Short-term rentals registered in accordance with section 13-77 may be advertised for stays of less than thirty (30) days on a hosting platform. All advertisements for a short-term rental, including, without limitation, those on hosting platforms, shall include the following: The short-term rental's local registration number; Language specifying the allowed maximum number of occupants allowed un...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗