Chapter 123 limits each STR unit to a maximum of six separate rental periods within a calendar month, with no frequency limit during the month of October. This caps how often a unit can turn over rather than total nights, and is a Rio Rancho city rule with no state equivalent.
Rio Rancho regulates how frequently a short-term rental can be booked rather than imposing an annual night cap. Under Chapter 123, a short-term rental unit may not be occupied for more than six separate rental periods within a calendar month. The single exception is the month of October, during which there are no rental frequency limitations, reflecting demand around the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in the region. The six-period rule limits turnovers, so a unit can host up to six distinct guest stays in a given month outside October; longer single bookings count as one period. This frequency cap works alongside the occupancy limit (two per bedroom plus two), the parking tiers, and the 1% citywide permit cap to manage neighborhood impacts. Operators should track rental periods carefully each month because exceeding six (outside October) is a direct operating violation of the chapter. New Mexico state law does not impose an STR rental-frequency cap, so this six-periods-per-month standard is entirely a Rio Rancho municipal rule introduced with the 2024 ordinance effective July 1, 2025.
Renting more than six separate periods in a calendar month (outside October) violates Chapter 123 and is subject to enforcement and penalties under Section 10.99, and can put the permit at risk.
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See how Rio Rancho's night caps rules stack up against other locations.
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