Ames, IA Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)

Under the Ames Municipal Code Guest Lodging Code, Chapter 35, the City Council created a voluntary alternative to full Rental Housing Code compliance for owner-occupied Short-Term Rentals, enforced by an Enforcement Officer designated by the City Manager. Sec. 35.200 defines "Hosted Home Share" as renting a portion of the dwelling unit that is the property owner's primary residence while the owner is present, and specifies that "present" means the owner is staying in the dwelling overnight during the rental. A "Home Share," by contrast, rents the entire dwelling unit while the owner is not present.

This host-presence line matters because Sec. 35.400(4) sets tighter caps on Hosted Home Shares (two approved bedrooms and two adult guests) than on Home Shares (two adults per bedroom, up to five total), and Sec. 35.400(5) requires no additional off-street parking for Hosted Home Shares while Home Shares must provide one space per bedroom, up to five. Because the entire registration track depends on this presence distinction, the Enforcement Officer treats a false statement about host presence on a registration as a false statement of material fact under Sec.

35.500(6)(a)(ii), grounds to revoke the registration and bar the dwelling from re-registering for one year under Sec. 35.500(6)(c). Owners must self-certify accurately at the time of registration and keep the required guest registry available for city inspection to substantiate which track applies.