Yellowstone County, MT Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Availability
- 24 hours/day, 7 days/week while occupied
- Who must respond
- Owner or designated local contact
- Posting requirement
- Permit + contact + safety info in unit
- Contact change
- Owner must update permit on file
- Advertising
- Must show county permit number (§27-1005.O.4(c))
- Safety equipment
- Smoke, fire, and CO2 detectors required
Summary
Every short-term rental permitted in unincorporated Yellowstone County must post the permit, local contact information, and emergency safety information inside the unit, and the owner or a designated local contact must be reachable 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while a guest is staying there, to field complaints about the unit's condition or a tenant's conduct.
Contact Information The short-term rental permit with all local contact information and emergency safety information shall be prominently displayed within the short-term rental unit. During the term that a short-term rental unit is occupied by a guest(s), the owner and/or a local contact person designated by the owner, as identified in the short-term rental permit application, shall be available 24 hours per day, seven days per week, for the purpose of responding to complaints regarding the condition or operation of the short-term rental unit or the conduct of short-term tenants. If the local contact person designated by the owner changes, then the owner shall update the permit on file.
Full Breakdown
4(b) of the Yellowstone County Zoning Code, part of the short-term rental program's Generally Applicable Requirements, requires the permit itself, along with all local contact information and emergency safety information, to be posted prominently inside the rental unit where guests can see it. Whenever the unit is occupied by a guest, the property owner or a local contact person the owner names on the permit application must be available around the clock, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, specifically to respond to complaints about the condition of the unit or the conduct of the short-term tenants staying in it.
If that designated local contact changes, the owner is required to update the permit on file with the county rather than simply notifying guests. 4(d)(1)). 4(d)(4)). The point of the round-the-clock contact rule is that someone with authority over the property answers, even if the owner uses a property manager rather than handling complaints personally.
Violations & Fines
Failing to keep an owner or designated local contact reachable 24/7, failing to post the permit and safety information in the unit, or letting the permit's contact information go stale after a change, is a Zoning Code violation subject to the general penalties in § 27-1704.G: a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to the state statutory limit or up to six months in jail, with each day counted separately, plus possible permit revocation under § 27-1704.C.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the property owner personally have to answer complaints at 2 a.m.?
What has to be posted inside a Yellowstone County short-term rental?
What if my designated local contact changes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yellowstone County
Compare Yellowstone County to another location·View the Montana short-term rentals overview
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