New Orleans, LA Short-Term Rentals: Host Platform Liability (2026)

Section 26-622(a)(1) makes it illegal for a short-term rental platform to 'collect a fee or anything of value in exchange for conducting, facilitating, or completing any booking transaction' at a dwelling unit that is not in compliance with the article - meaning the owner lacks a valid owner permit, the unit lacks a permitted operator, or the use otherwise violates the city code, the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, or state or federal law. That duty puts the platform on the hook for every listing it monetizes in Orleans Parish, not just ones it advertises directly.

The same section layers on further duties. Under section 26-622(a)(2), each platform must carry commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, name the City of New Orleans as an additional insured on a primary, noncontributory basis, and give the department 30 days' notice before the policy lapses or is cancelled. Section 26-622(a)(4) requires the platform to verify every listing's legal eligibility through the city's electronic verification system before facilitating a booking, and to reverify at least every 30 days or whenever the underlying permit data changes.

Section 26-622(a)(6) adds a monthly reporting duty - platforms must submit the URL and confirmation code for every booking transaction facilitated during the period. 1 separately makes the platform responsible for collecting and remitting sales, use and occupancy taxes on behalf of the owner. A platform's one narrow defense, under section 26-623, is proving the city's verification system was actually inoperable and that it made reasonable efforts to comply.