Short-Term Rentals in Stearns County, MN (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Stearns County, Minnesota.
Verified from official government sources
Short-Term Rental Permits
Renting a home in unincorporated Stearns County as a Vacation/Short Term Rental requires an Interim Use Permit for rentals with more than eight occupants or more than one rental per parcel, or a Provisional Use Permit for eight or fewer occupants, under Ordinance 439, Section 6.62.
Stearns County STR Permit Requirements
Significant RestrictionsStearns County Ordinance No. 439 (Land Use and Zoning Ordinance), § 6.62(A)
A Vacation/Short Term Rental shall be subject to the administrative requirements of Section 4.18 (Interim Use) of this Ordinance for rentals with more than eight (8) occupants or more than one rental on a parcel, Section 4.22 (Provisional Use) for rentals with eight (8) or less occupants and the following performance standards: A. Submittal of an application signed by the property owner and inc...
Noise Rules
Stearns County requires the owner or emergency contact of a Vacation/Short Term Rental to keep noise within Minnesota Rules chapter 7030 standards and to enforce quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., under Ordinance 439, Section 6.62(G) and (N).
Stearns County STR Noise Standards
Some RestrictionsStearns County Ordinance No. 439 (Land Use and Zoning Ordinance), § 6.62(G), (N)
G. The owners or designated emergency contact of Vacation/Short Term Rentals shall ensure that the noise standards of Minnesota Rules, chapter 7030, are met. ... N. The owner or emergency contact of Vacation/Short Term Rentals must enforce quiet hours from ten (10) pm-seven (7) am.
Occupancy Limits
Stearns County caps overnight occupancy at a Vacation/Short Term Rental to what Lodging Ordinance 661 allows per bedroom plus two, or one person per 75 gallons of daily septic design flow, whichever is lower, with daytime occupancy capped at 1.5 times that overnight figure or three people per parking vehicle.
Stearns County STR Occupancy Caps
Some RestrictionsStearns County Ordinance No. 439 (Land Use and Zoning Ordinance), § 6.62(B)-(C)
B. The overnight occupancy of a Vacation/Short Term Rental shall be limited to no more than what Stearns County Lodging Ordinance Number 661 allows per bedroom plus two additional persons per building; or no more than one (1) person for every seventy-five (75) gallons of water per day that the building’s sub-surface sewage treatment system is designed to handle, whichever is less. For purposes ...
Repeat Violator Strikes
Stearns County gives a Vacation/Short Term Rental owner one written warning per permit cycle when the Department documents a violation, before pursuing revocation, while a clean record lets the operator qualify for longer renewal cycles up to five years.
Stearns County STR Violation Warning Rule
Significant RestrictionsStearns County Ordinance No. 439 (Land Use and Zoning Ordinance), § 6.62(L)-(M)
L. Vacation/Short Term Rentals meeting all ordinance provisions will be considered based on the following cycles provided there are no documented violations. Vacation/Short Term Rentals initially permitted prior to 1/1/2023 will be given credit for the years operated regardless of the number of requests made provided there are no documented violations. (1) Initial request: two (2) years from is...
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