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New Orleans, LA Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Residential density cap
One large STR per block face
Allocation
Lottery / equitable distribution
French Quarter
Banned except Bourbon St. VCE
Garden District
Banned entirely
Nights-per-year cap
None; density-based instead

Summary

New Orleans caps STRs by density rather than nights: in residential and neighborhood-business districts only one large residential STR is allowed per block face, awarded by lottery. Short-term rentals are banned outright in the Vieux Carre (French Quarter) and the Garden District.

The award of owner permits in zoning districts subject to blockface or per-square caps shall be made using a lottery or other mechanism intended to ensure the equitable distribution of short-term rental permits.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 116 Update 1).

Full Breakdown

Instead of a nights-per-year cap, New Orleans limits how many STRs can exist near each other and where they are allowed. In residential and HU-B1A/HU-B1 neighborhood-business districts, only one large residential STR is permitted per block face; where applications exceed the per-square or block-face cap the department awards permits by lottery to ensure equitable distribution. Short-term rentals are prohibited in the Vieux Carre (French Quarter) except a defined stretch of Bourbon Street in the VCE Entertainment District, and are banned entirely in the Garden District. A permit becomes void if the owner sells, and the property re-enters the lottery.

Violations & Fines

Operating an STR in a banned district or beyond the per-block-face cap is a violation subject to at least a $1,000 fine per day; a revoked permit bars STR use of the property for five years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a nights-per-year limit on New Orleans STRs?
No. New Orleans controls STRs by density and location rather than an annual nights cap, limiting them to one large residential STR per block face and awarding permits by lottery where demand exceeds the cap.
Where are STRs banned in New Orleans?
Short-term rentals are prohibited in the Vieux Carre (French Quarter), except a defined section of Bourbon Street in the VCE Entertainment District, and banned entirely in the historic Garden District.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in New Orleans

Parking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsShort-Term Rental PermitsSignificant RestrictionsInsurance RequirementsSome RestrictionsShort-Term Rental Parking RulesLight RestrictionsPrimary-Residence-Only RuleSignificant RestrictionsHost Presence RuleSignificant RestrictionsRepeat Violator StrikesHeavy RestrictionsTaxes & FeesSome RestrictionsOccupancy LimitsSome RestrictionsNoise RulesSignificant RestrictionsHost Platform LiabilitySignificant RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Vehicle NoiseSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Towing & Impound RightsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesHeavy RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingSignificant Restrictions

All New Orleans rules

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