Ames, IA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (2026)

Chapter 35's Short-Term Rental standards split off-street parking obligations the same way they split occupancy limits: by whether the property owner is present during the rental. Sec. 35.400(5) states that parking is provided according to the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 29.406, and then adds two rental-specific rules. Under Sec. 35.400(5)(a), a Hosted Home Share, where the owner stays in the home overnight during the rental, requires no additional parking beyond what the property already provides. Under Sec. 35.400(5)(b), a Home Share, used while the owner is not present, must supply one off-street parking space per approved bedroom, with a hard ceiling of five required spaces regardless of how many bedrooms the dwelling has.

This mirrors the occupancy caps in Sec. 35.400(4), which likewise treat Home Shares as needing more infrastructure because the owner is not on site to manage guest vehicles directly. The parking requirement is tied to the same approved bedroom count used for occupancy, so a room that has not passed the Chapter 13 Rental Housing Code inspection standard referenced in Sec. 35.200 does not generate a parking obligation. Because registration review under Sec. 35.500(2)(c) checks for complete and accurate information, an applicant must document available off-street parking as part of the registration file, and a verified complaint that a Home Share lacks the required spaces can support denial, non-renewal, or revocation of the registration under Sec. 35.500(2)(c)(v) and Sec. 35.500(6).