Short-Term Rentals in Rapid City, SD (2026)
4 verified short-term rentals rules for Rapid City, South Dakota, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Short-Term Rental Permits
Rapid City requires an annual City registration before anyone can own, manage, operate, or even advertise a vacation home. Rapid City Municipal Code § 17.50.410.B makes operating and advertising without a valid registration unlawful, and § 17.50.410.C routes the application through the Department of Community Development every year.
Rapid City Vacation Home Registration Rule
Significant RestrictionsRapid City Municipal Code § 17.50.410.B-C
B. Vacation home registration. As of [Month, Day, Year], it is unlawful for any person to own, manage, or operate a vacation home without a valid and current annual registration issued by the City pursuant to this section. As of [Month, Day, Year], it is unlawful for any person to advertise a vacation home without a valid and current annual registration issued by the City pursuant to this secti...
Taxes & Fees
Rapid City charges a registration fee, not a bed tax, to license vacation homes. Rapid City Municipal Code § 17.50.410.C requires the fee be paid to the City before the Department of Community Development will accept an application, in an amount set by City Council resolution rather than fixed in the code itself.
Rapid City Vacation Home Registration Fee
Some RestrictionsRapid City Municipal Code § 17.50.410.C
C. Annual application process. ... Before an application can be accepted by the Department of Community Development, the applicant must pay a registration fee to the City in an amount set pursuant to a resolution passed by the City Council. Each vacation home rented or leased separately to the public must be individually registered.
Short-Term Rental Parking Rules
Rapid City requires every registered vacation home, its term for a short-term rental, to provide 2 off-street parking spaces per vacation home. Rapid City Municipal Code section 17.50.410(D)(5) sends operators to the citywide parking table in section 17.50.270, where the Vacation home row sets 2.00 spaces per vacation home. The Department of Community Development checks this before issuing the annual registration required to legally advertise or operate.
Rapid City Vacation Home Parking Rule
Some RestrictionsRapid City Municipal Code §§ 17.50.270, 17.50.410(D)(5)
| Land Use Building Type | Parking Spaces Required | ... | Vacation home | 2.00 per vacation home | ... ... 5. Parking shall be provided pursuant to § 17.50.270 of this title.
Occupancy Limits
Rapid City caps how many guests a registered vacation home can sleep. Under Rapid City Municipal Code § 17.50.410.D.4, occupancy tops out at 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 additional people, counting children, and homes with more than 5 bedrooms need a conditional use permit under D.3.
Rapid City Vacation Home Occupancy Cap
Some RestrictionsRapid City Municipal Code § 17.50.410.D.3-4
3. If there are more than 5 bedrooms in the vacation home, the property owner has obtained a conditional use permit pursuant to § 17.54.030 of this title. 4. The vacation home shall not exceed a maximum of 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 additional persons. Children count toward the occupancy requirement.