5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in St. Louis County, Missouri.
Verified from official government sources
St. Louis County's zoning code does not specifically address short-term rentals as a distinct use category. Operators in unincorporated areas must obtain a re-occupancy permit (§1110.1045) and a Chapter 825 rental license. Enforcement is inconsistent compared to the City of St. Louis.
St. Louis County Code Chapter 825
Chapter 825 — Residential Rental Property License Code §825.600 Application Procedure / Inspection Program. (St. Louis County does not have a STR-specific zoning provision; operators comply through the general rental-property licensing framework.)
STR noise complaints in St. Louis County are handled under SLCRO §716.073 (Loud Noise) — plainly audible at 50 feet is presumed a violation — plus the host's Chapter 825 license is at risk for repeated nuisance complaints.
St. Louis County Code §716.073
Sec. 716.073. — It is presumed that if the volume of the offending source is plainly audible to persons more than fifty (50) feet away from the source of the noise, a noise violation exists.
All lodging facilities inside St. Louis County, including transient home rentals booked through Airbnb, VRBO, and similar online purveyors, must file and pay a 3.75% Convention and Tourism Tax plus a 3.5% Convention and Sports Tax (7.25% total county lodging tax). Returns are due quarterly within 20 days after each calendar quarter. Missouri state sales tax of 4.225% and local city/county sales taxes also apply.
STR guest parking falls under the same rules as all residential parking: paved driveway required (§1003.165), no front-yard parking (§1207.060), and on-street limits (§1207.040). Guests do not get special parking privileges.
St. Louis County Code Chapter 1207
Chapter 1207 — Parking Regulations. §1207.060 Parking Prohibited in Residential Front Yards; §1207.040 Parking Prohibited in Specified Places; §1003.165 Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements—General.
STR occupancy in unincorporated St. Louis County is effectively governed by the family definition in SLCRO §1003.020: an individual or related persons, or up to 3 unrelated persons living as a single non-profit housekeeping unit using no more than 2 kitchens.
St. Louis County Code §1003.020
Sec. 1003.020. — A family is defined as an individual or two (2) or more persons related by blood or marriage or a group of not more than three (3) persons who need not be related by blood or marriage living together and subsisting in common as a single non-profit housekeeping unit using not more than two (2) kitchens.
2 cities in St. Louis County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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