Little Rock, AR Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Little Rock, AR, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 36-604, Little Rock Code
- License required before
- listing or renting property online
- Renewal
- annual, with city collector
- Unlicensed operation penalty
- 1-year application ban
- Revocation trigger
- 3 confirmed violations per year
Summary
Little Rock requires every short-term rental operator to hold a city business license before listing or renting a property, renewed annually, with unlicensed operation barring new applications for a year.
It is unlawful for any responsible party to offer for rent a bed and breakfast house/short-term rental or to operate a bed and breakfast house/short-term rental without a business license. Owners shall not list a property or units online until they have received a business license, operation of an STR without a business license shall make the owner ineligible to apply for a business license for up to one (l)-year.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 83).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 36-604 of the Little Rock Code, it is unlawful for a responsible party to offer or operate a bed and breakfast house/short-term rental (STR-1 or STR-2) without a city business license, and owners cannot list a property online until the license is issued. The license follows approval of the underlying zoning entitlement, a special use permit for owner-occupied STR-1s or a planned zoning district for non-owner-occupied STR-2s, and must be renewed annually with the city collector. Operating without a license makes the owner ineligible to apply for one for up to a year, and the planning and development director can revoke a license after three confirmed violations in a calendar year.
Violations & Fines
Operating an STR without a business license is unlawful; the owner becomes ineligible to apply for a license for up to one year, and repeat violators risk license revocation and appeal to the board of adjustment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a business license to run a short-term rental in Little Rock?
What happens if I operate an STR without a license?
How often must the STR business license be renewed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Little Rock
How Little Rock compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Little Rock to another location·View the Arkansas short-term rentals overview
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