Lexington, KY Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

' The application must include the property address; contact information for the applicant, the operator (if different), and an emergency contact located within twenty-five miles of the rental; Division of Planning approval that the rental complies with the Zoning Ordinance; the maximum requested occupant count; a site and floor plan showing legal on-site parking; a certificate of general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence; affidavits confirming the health-and-safety duties of § 13-79(a)(1)-(6) are met and that building, fire and other codes are followed; and, for septic properties, a Health Department letter confirming the septic system can handle short-term-rental use.

Every application must be accompanied by the fee set in § 13-13. A license covers all short-term rentals a licensee owns, and each licensed rental receives a unique local registration number. Licenses expire on the earliest of December 31 following issuance, a change in ownership, a change between hosted and un-hosted use, or revocation of a conditional use permit. The Director may refuse to issue or renew a license for a false statement, an incomplete application, unpaid fees or fines, an unsatisfied lien, loss of a required conditional use permit, or noncompliance with applicable codes.