Under Lexington-Fayette Chapter 17.4, the registered host bears full responsibility for code violations that occur on a listing, while platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo collect the 8.5% transient-room tax through voluntary agreements with LFUCG.
Lexington's STR scheme places the legal duty on the named registrant, not the booking platform. If a guest hosts a loud party, leaves trash on the curb, or exceeds the occupancy cap, citations issue to the host of record. The platform's role is administrative: Airbnb has a state-level tax-collection deal that channels Kentucky transient-room tax and remits Lexington's 2.5% share, but it does not screen listings for Ch. 17.4 registration. Hosts therefore must verify their own compliance and cannot offload citations to the platform.
A host who blames the platform still receives the citation, plus possible civil penalties of $100 to $500 per violation and tax interest if transient-room tax was under-remitted because the listing fell outside platform agreements.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Lexington, KY
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