Polk County sets no rule requiring a host to be on-site during stays. A traditional county 'bed and breakfast' use implies an owner living there, but whole-home unhosted rentals are generally allowed where zoning and the host city permit them.
There is no county ordinance mandating an on-site host or manager for short-term rentals. Under the Polk County Zoning Ordinance, a 'bed and breakfast' is characterized as an owner-occupied residence serving guests, which effectively assumes the host is present; but an ordinary residential STR need not be hosted unless a city says so. Some Polk County municipalities require a local contact or responsible party reachable 24/7 to answer complaints. Confirm any local-contact or on-site requirement with the host city, or with Planning & Development for unincorporated parcels.
Where a city requires a designated 24/7 local contact, failing to provide one can be a permit violation subject to municipal fines or permit suspension.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Polk County allows backyard composting but regulates it through the Health Nuisance Regulation: a compost pile that harbors vermin, produces offensive odors,...
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Polk County has no ordinance for or against artificial turf on residential lots. Installation on unincorporated land is generally unrestricted; cities and HO...
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Polk County has no ordinance banning native or prairie landscaping, and the county promotes native roadside vegetation. The one legal limit: your planting ca...
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Iowa has no state ban on collecting rainwater, and Polk County sets no rain-barrel ordinance. Residents may capture roof runoff in barrels or cisterns; only ...
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Polk County sets no lawn-watering schedule. Central Iowa's water is managed by Central Iowa Water Works / Des Moines Water Works, which can impose voluntary ...
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Iowa Code 317.10 requires every landowner to destroy all noxious weeds on their land as directed by the county board of supervisors. Polk County's Weed Commi...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in this county.
See how West Des Moines's host presence rule rules stack up against other locations.
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