Johnson County, IA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

24(CC) makes short-term rental of a single-family dwelling, auxiliary dwelling unit, seasonal home, cabin, or individual unit in a multi-family dwelling an accessory use in the A, AR, SF, RS, RM, RC, and AG-T districts, but only with Zoning Administrator approval. 27's permitting procedure, and every permit expires two years after issuance, at which point the operator must reapply; the Zoning Administrator can attach special conditions to any approval to protect public health, safety, and welfare. The unit must be rented in its entirety: subsection (CC)(2) bars renting on a room-to-room basis, so a homeowner cannot lease individual bedrooms separately under this permit.

Any structure where the visiting public congregates must meet Chapter 8:6's building code, and the operation must comply with Johnson County Public Health requirements and other applicable federal, state, and local regulations. Subsection (CC)(6) requires the rental to be managed so as to protect the health, safety, and welfare of renters and the public, preserve property values, and avoid becoming a nuisance; improper management is expressly grounds for permit denial or revocation by the Zoning Administrator. Operators who already hold a Board of Adjustment conditional use permit for a Country Inn or Bed and Breakfast Home do not need a separate short-term rental permit under subsection (CC)(7). 24(E)(5) apply on top of these base permit conditions where relevant.