Bowling Green, KY Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Bowling Green's STR occupancy standard is codified in Zoning Ordinance Article 5, Section 5.2.4(C)(4)(c) (Commercial Use Categories - Overnight Accommodations - Specific Use Standards for Short-Term Rentals): 'Each room to be rented shall be designed and intended to accommodate no more than two persons.' The standard operates as a design/intended-use cap rather than an absolute headcount limit subject to a 'plus' adder; a three-bedroom STR is designed for a maximum of six guests (3 rooms x 2 persons), a four-bedroom STR for eight, a five-bedroom STR for ten, scaling linearly. The cap is enforced as a Conditional Use Permit and Short Term Rental license condition through the City-County Planning Commission and the Bowling Green Code Enforcement & Nuisance Board. The cap is reinforced by the broader 'no adverse effect' standard in the same subsection - even occupancy levels at or below the per-room design figure that generate 'excessive traffic generation, noise and light' are independently actionable as CUP condition violations. Life-safety requirements supporting the occupancy cap are covered in the city's Short Term Rental Guide and Building Division change-of-use review (270-393-3676): smoke alarms in each bedroom and on each floor; carbon monoxide detectors near sleeping areas where applicable; accessible fire extinguishers; and standard residential egress (a code-conforming door or window) from each rented bedroom. The Building Division coordinates the change-of-use inspection that confirms each rented room actually meets the design-intent and life-safety standards before the STR license is issued. Operators should document the design-intent occupancy in the listing and house rules to avoid disputes about what 'designed and intended for two persons per room' means in practice.