Short-Term Rentals in Rochester, MN (2026)
3 verified short-term rentals rules for Rochester, Minnesota, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Short-Term Rental Permits
Rochester requires anyone operating a short-term rental, a dwelling rented for under 30 days, to hold a registration certificate under Code section 7-10-2(a). Owner-occupied units only need to register; every other short-term rental must be both registered and inspected, and multi-family buildings with three or more units can't operate as short-term rentals at all.
Rochester, MN Short-Term Rental License Rule
Significant RestrictionsRochester City Code § 7-10-2(a)-(b)
(a)No person shall engage in the activity of a short-term rental in the city without obtaining a registration certificate as provided in chapter 7-8-1. Single-family owner occupied short term rentals are required to be registered only. All other short-term rentals are required to be registered and inspected per section 7-9-12.(b)Short term rentals in multi-family buildings with three or more un...
Taxes & Fees
Rochester charges an annual license fee for short-term rental hosting platforms under Code section 7-10-3, discounted for platforms listing 150 units or fewer, and layers a 7 percent lodging tax on rent for any stay under 30 days under section 10-4-2, collected by the operator from the guest.
Rochester, MN STR Fees and Lodging Tax
Some RestrictionsRochester City Code §§ 7-10-3(b), 10-4-2
(b)The annual fee for the issuance or renewal of a short-term rental hosting platform license shall be as is listed in the fee schedule. The building inspector may, through the fee schedule, impose a lesser annual fee for a short-term rental hosting platform that lists or will list no more than 150 dwelling units at any given time. The license fee shall be paid as a precondition to issuance or ...
Occupancy Limits
Rochester's short-term rental table in section 7-10-2(b) caps how many units in a building may operate as short-term rentals by property type, and assumes occupancy in two-unit buildings does not exceed 10 people total. A structure renting five or more beds crosses into lodging or hotel territory and needs a separate health department license.
Rochester, MN Short-Term Rental Occupancy Caps
Some RestrictionsRochester City Code § 7-10-2(b)
(b)Short term rentals in multi-family buildings with three or more units would be prohibited as a primary use (these would be considered hotels). Structures with three or more units require building code classification change from an "apartment building" where occupants are primarily permanent in nature to "hotel/transient housing". Structures with five or more beds would be classified by the d...
Looking for Olmsted County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Rochester city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Olmsted County →