Sioux Falls, SD Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Host presence required?
- No: code defines STRs as unhosted
- Permit fee
- $50 residential rental permit
- Course requirement
- 2-hour approved course before permit
- Guest notice
- Posted emergency contacts required inside unit
- Enforcing agency
- Planning and Development Services Dept.
Summary
Sioux Falls short-term rentals don't require the owner or a manager on-site: city code defines a short-term rental unit as one rented out in its entirety that is 'not occupied by an owner or manager during the time of rental.'
SHORT-TERM RENTAL UNIT. Any home, cabin, or similar building that is rented, leased, or furnished in its entirety to the public on a daily or weekly basis for more than 14 days in a calendar year and is not occupied by an owner or manager during the time of rental. This term does not include a bed and breakfast establishment as defined in city ordinance § 160.005.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-135: Current through local ordinance 54-26, passed 7-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
City code defines a SHORT-TERM RENTAL UNIT as a home rented in its entirety on a daily or weekly basis for more than 14 days a year that is 'not occupied by an owner or manager during the time of rental': there is no host-presence requirement. Instead, the owner must obtain a $50 residential rental permit from Planning and Development Services, complete a 2-hour approved course, name a local contact if living more than 50 miles away, and post an emergency-contact notice inside the unit for guests. A bed and breakfast, by contrast, is defined separately as owner-occupied.
Violations & Fines
Operating an unpermitted short-term rental is subject to the penalty provisions of § 10.999; the city may also suspend or revoke the rental permit after repeated health, nuisance, or code violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the property owner have to stay on-site during a short-term rental in Sioux Falls?
What must a Sioux Falls short-term rental owner do to operate legally?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sioux Falls
Compare Sioux Falls to another location·View the South Dakota short-term rentals overview
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