Kansas City, KS Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Section 27-623 of the Code of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, adopted April 27, 2023 and effective June 1, 2023, classifies short-term rentals (any rental of a full or partial dwelling unit for fewer than 30 consecutive days) as a commercial use that requires a Special Use Permit issued through the Planning and Urban Design Department at 701 N 7th Street, Suite 423. Maximum overnight occupancy is not fixed by a generic statewide formula in the KCK code; instead, the Unified Government Commission sets the maximum number of guests as a condition of the Special Use Permit, taking into account the dwelling's bedroom count, the underlying International Property Maintenance Code minimum sleeping-room area adopted under Chapter 8 Article VIII, and the third-party rental inspection results submitted with the application. The standard application is reviewed over a 90 to 120 day cycle and is subject to the one-non-owner-occupied-STR-per-block-face cap; owner-occupied STRs are not subject to the per-block cap, per the Legal Department's interpretation of Section 27-623. On February 5, 2026 the Unified Government Commission added an administrative licensing track for designated 'major events' (those under 90 days with insufficient hotel capacity, announced at least two weeks in advance), under which staff approves or denies a complete application within three business days; if the deadline is missed the license is automatically approved. Operators of fewer-than-29-consecutive-day rentals are also subject to the Kansas transient guest tax framework under K.S.A. 12-1696 et seq.