Jefferson Parish, LA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Jefferson Parish, LA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- License required from
- Code Compliance & Enforcement
- STR/B&B processing fee
- $750 per year
- Liability insurance minimum
- $500,000
- Renewal deadline
- November 1 annually
- Background check window
- 10-year criminal lookback
- Max penalty
- $500 fine, 6 months jail
- License transfer
- not allowed
Summary
Operating a short-term rental anywhere in unincorporated Jefferson Parish first requires a lodging accommodation license from the department of code compliance and enforcement, not just an occupational license. Section 17.5-5 bars renting rooms without that license, and section 17.5-6 sets a $750 nonrefundable annual processing fee for short-term rentals and bed and breakfasts, on top of proof of primary residency in several zoning districts and $500,000 in liability coverage.
Sec. 17.5-5. License required for a bed and breakfast, hotel, motel, or short-term rental; annual renewals. (a)No bed and breakfast, hotel, motel, or short-term rental shall engage in the business of rental of room or rooms, and facilities without first filing application, initial or renewal, with the department of code compliance and enforcement and obtaining a lodging accommodation license. Sec. 17.5-6. Application, fees and requirements. (a)...The processing fee for bed and breakfast or short-term rental establishments shall be seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00). Sec. 17.5-12. Violation-penalty. It is unlawful to advertise or operate a bed and breakfast, hotel, motel, or short-term rental without a valid lodging accommodation license. Whoever violates the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500.00) or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
5-5 before anyone can rent out a room or dwelling unit, whether or not the operator also holds an occupational license tax certificate under chapter 35. Existing short-term rentals as of the ordinance's 2018 effective date got six months to file for the license or face penalties; every license must be renewed annually by November 1. 5-6 spells out the application: a $750 nonrefundable processing fee for short-term rentals and bed and breakfasts (only $50 for hotels and motels), adjustable each July for inflation, plus documents proving ownership or a signed lease, a designated local responsible party, and, in nine specifically listed mixed-use and commercial zoning districts such as Old Bucktown Mixed-Use Residential and General Office, proof that the unit is the operator's primary residence through a homestead exemption or two forms of ID matching the property address.
Applicants must also carry at least $500,000 in general liability coverage, with the insurer required to give the parish 10 days' notice before any lapse or cancellation. Before the license issues, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office runs a criminal background check confirming no felony drug, vice, or violent conviction in the past 10 years, and the parish attorney's office verifies the applicant hasn't had a lodging license revoked in Jefferson Parish or elsewhere within the past five years. 5-4, and a license can't be transferred to a new owner or address.
Violations & Fines
Advertising or operating a short-term rental, hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast without a valid lodging accommodation license is unlawful under section 17.5-12, punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to six months in jail, or both, with every day of unlicensed operation a separate offense. A license already issued can be suspended or revoked under section 17.5-8 for failing to comply with the chapter, three or more drug- or prostitution-related arrests on the property within 90 days, or ten or more verified law-enforcement calls in 30 days for a hotel or motel, five for a short-term rental.
Frequently Asked Questions
What license do I need to run a short-term rental in Jefferson Parish?
How much is the Jefferson Parish short-term rental license fee?
Do I have to live in the property I'm renting out?
What happens if I operate without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jefferson Parish
How Jefferson Parish compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Jefferson Parish to another location·View the Louisiana short-term rentals overview
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