Las Cruces, NM Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration authority
- Community Development Department
- Annual registration fee
- $35.00
- Deadline for existing hosts
- 30 days after effective date
- Short-term rental defined as
- 3 months or less
- Neighbor notice radius
- 500 feet, within 10 days
Summary
Anyone renting property in Las Cruces on a short-term basis, defined as three months or less, must get a business registration certificate from the community development department before advertising or renting the unit. The $35 annual registration must be posted inside the rental and updated within 30 days of any ownership or management change.
All persons owning real property within the City of Las Cruces with the intent of using that property for a short-term rental unit must obtain a certificate of business registration from the City of Las Cruces Community Development Department pursuant to chapter 16 of this Code prior to establishing that service. ... A change in ownership or management shall require an updated registration before the short-term rental unit may be made available for rent. ... The business registration obtained from the community development department must be posted inside the unit in a clearly visible area accessible to anyone renting or occupying the unit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33 | Land Development Code: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 16-508(a) of the Short-Term Rental Ordinance requires every person who owns real property in Las Cruces with the intent of using it as a short-term rental unit to obtain a certificate of business registration from the Community Development Department before offering the unit for rent. If the property is managed by someone other than the owner, the owner must also provide business and contact information for that short-term rental operator, and a change in ownership or management triggers a requirement to update the registration before the unit can be re-listed.
Sec. 16-508(c) required anyone already operating a short-term rental before the ordinance's effective date to submit a registration application within 30 days of that date. Sec. 16-508(d) requires the registration certificate to be posted inside the unit somewhere clearly visible to guests. Sec. 16-508(b) directs the community development department to monitor short-term rental listing and advertising websites to find unregistered properties and bring them into compliance. Sec. 00 annual renewal. Sec. 16-507 defines a short-term rental as a unit rented on an agreement of three months or less, excluding owner-occupied bed-and-breakfasts and hotels or motels. Sec. 16-512 further requires notifying property owners within 500 feet within ten days of submitting the registration.
Violations & Fines
Renting a short-term rental unit without the required community development department certificate is an 'offense' under Sec. 16-507 and Sec. 16-509, carrying a civil fine of $50.00 to $300.00 for a first offense and $300.00 to $500.00 for a second or later offense, prosecuted in municipal court. The community development department can also revoke an existing registration administratively for a pattern of noncompliance, and revocation is mandatory after a fifth offense within three years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to register a short-term rental with the City of Las Cruces?
How much does short-term rental registration cost in Las Cruces?
What counts as a short-term rental in Las Cruces?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Las Cruces
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