Las Cruces, NM Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Las Cruces, NM, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Registration required
- Before first guest stay
- Issuing agency
- Community Development Department
- Grace period
- 30 days for existing operators
- Posting duty
- Certificate visible inside unit
- Annual fee
- $35 to the city
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 3103, Dec. 15, 2025
Summary
Every Las Cruces short-term rental must carry a business registration certificate from the Community Development Department before it takes its first guest, obtained under the Short-Term Rental Ordinance. Owners already operating when the rule took effect had 30 days to apply, and the certificate must stay posted inside the unit where renters can see it.
(a)All persons owning real property within the City of Las Cruces with the intent of using that property for a short-term rental unit must obtain a certificate of business registration from the City of Las Cruces Community Development Department pursuant to chapter 16 of this Code prior to establishing that service... (c)Any person operating such short-term rental property prior to the effective date of the ordinance from which this article is derived must submit an application for the required business registration permit within 30 days of the effective date of [such] ordinance.(d)The business registration obtained from the community development department must be posted inside the unit in a clearly visible area accessible to anyone renting or occupying the unit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33 | Land Development Code: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 16-508(a) requires every owner who intends to use real property in Las Cruces as a short-term rental to obtain a certificate of business registration from the Community Development Department under chapter 16 of the Municipal Code before offering the unit for rent. If the property is managed by someone other than the owner, the owner must supply that manager's business and contact information on the application, and any change in ownership or management triggers a new registration before the unit can be advertised again.
Sec. 16-508(c) gave operators who were already running a short-term rental before the ordinance's effective date a 30-day window from that date to file for the required permit rather than shutting down immediately. Once issued, Sec. 16-508(d) requires the registration to be posted inside the unit in a spot any renter or occupant can see, so a guest or inspector can confirm the property is legal at a glance. The Community Development Department also monitors short-term rental listing sites and advertising under Sec. 16-508(b) to catch unregistered units and bring them into compliance or shut down the unauthorized activity.
Registration is tied to a $35 annual fee under Sec. 16-511 and to a separate lodging registration with Visit Las Cruces, and the whole framework was adopted December 15, 2025 by Ordinance No. 3103, taking effect January 1, 2026.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required registration, failing to post it, or letting it lapse after a change in ownership is an offense under Sec. 16-507. A first offense draws a civil fine of $50 to $300 in municipal court; repeat offenses run $300 to $500, and continuing noncompliance can lead the court or Community Development staff to revoke the business registration entirely under Sec. 16-509.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a short-term rental in Las Cruces?
What if I was already renting out my property before the ordinance passed?
Does the city check for unregistered short-term rentals?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Las Cruces
How Las Cruces compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Las Cruces to another location·View the New Mexico short-term rentals overview
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