Short-term rentals in Kirkwood are limited to owner-occupied single-family dwellings where the owner must reside on the premises while guests are present, and must comply with Chapter 17 of the Municipal Code prohibiting any sound that disturbs the peace; sound from any radio, television, instrument, or device that is plainly audible at 50 feet between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is prima facie evidence of a violation.
Kirkwood regulates short-term rentals through the Zoning and Subdivision Code (Chapter 25). Short-term rentals are permitted only in owner-occupied detached single-family dwellings, and the owner must maintain the dwelling as a permanent residence and reside on the premises whenever a short-term rental guest is present. Not more than one short-term rental is permitted on each block, which significantly limits density and the potential for noise concentration. A 24-hour, 7-day local contact person must be designated who can respond to any complaint within 45 minutes, and noise complaints are typically the trigger for enforcement. Noise itself is governed by Kirkwood's general public-peace ordinance under Chapter 17 of the Municipal Code, which makes it unlawful for any person to make, continue, or cause any loud, unnecessary, or unusual noise that unreasonably annoys, disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace, or safety of others in the City. The ordinance specifically prohibits operating a radio, television, musical instrument, phonograph, or other sound-producing device in a manner that disturbs neighboring inhabitants. Operation of any such device between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet from the building, structure, or vehicle in which it is located is prima facie evidence of a violation. The general nuisance prohibition applies at all hours, not only the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. window. Animals or birds kept at the property that disturb the comfort or repose of persons in the vicinity by long, continual, or frequent noise are also a separate violation. Missouri has no statewide STR licensing statute; transient lodging tax authority comes from RSMo Chapter 67 (county/municipal lodging tax provisions) and the city's own occupancy permit and business license requirements under Chapter 13. Because Kirkwood requires the owner to be present and caps rentals at one per block, party-house operations are essentially impossible to permit lawfully.
Violations of the noise rules are municipal infractions prosecutable in Kirkwood Municipal Court under Chapter 17, with fines and possible jail time per the general penalty provisions of Chapter 1. For a short-term rental, repeated noise violations or failure of the local contact to respond within 45 minutes may also support revocation or non-renewal of the 12-month occupancy permit and business license under Chapter 13.
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