Short-term rental permit rules in Davenport, IA — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Davenport cannot ban residential STRs or charge an STR-specific permit fee under Iowa Code Sec. 414.1(1)(e). It treats them as residential rentals: hosts need the city's standard rental-property license and must pass safety inspections.
Iowa's 2020 short-term rental law (House File 2641, Iowa Code Sec. 414.1(1)(e)) bars cities from prohibiting residential short-term rentals or imposing an STR-specific permit or license, and requires treating them as a residential use. Localities keep power to regulate fire and building safety, nuisance, and traffic if applied equally to comparable homes. Davenport has no separate STR ordinance; an STR instead falls under the city's rental-property licensing and Property Maintenance Code (Municipal Code Ch. 8.15, adopting the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code). Owners register the unit, complete the Landlord Education Assistance Program, and pass periodic inspection covering smoke and CO alarms and egress.
Operating an unlicensed rental draws a $500 fine plus a citation and placement on an annual inspection cycle. Property-maintenance defects trigger correction orders and possible license action.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Davenport's permit requirements rules stack up against other locations.
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