Benton County, AR Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Benton County, AR, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Exemption threshold
- 1 unit/acre or 3 units/parcel
- Governing chapter
- Ch. VI, Site Plan Review
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
- Before permit
- Site plan approval required
- Fee authority
- Set by Planning Board, Sec. 2.8
Summary
Unincorporated Benton County exempts short-term and long-term rentals from site plan review only below one dwelling unit per acre or three dwelling units per parcel. Cross either cap and the Planning Division withholds a building permit until it approves a development site plan under the county's Planning and Development Regulations.
Developments requiring site plan review shall require development site plan to be approved in accordance with this Ordinance prior to the issuance of a Building Permit. ... Development Exempted from site plan review: 11. ... Short-term rentals and long-term rentals which do not exceed a density of one (1) dwelling unit per acre, or more than three (3) dwelling units per parcel.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Benton County's Planning and Development Regulations, adopted under Quorum Court Ordinance No. O-2023-53 and authorized by Act 422 of 1977, govern land use only in the unincorporated county; Bentonville, Rogers, Bella Vista, Siloam Springs and the county's other cities zone themselves. Chapter VI sets the site plan review process the county applies before any building permit issues. ' A rental that stays under both caps needs no development site plan. ' Filing that application also authorizes County Planning staff, the Planning Board, the County Road Department and the county's Environmental Officer to enter the property to survey and inspect for compliance. 8, subject to Quorum Court approval, and an applicant cannot get action on the application until fees are paid in full.
Violations & Fines
Operating a rental above the density threshold without an approved site plan is unlawful under Section 1.2, which bars using any land or structure 'in violation of this Ordinance,' and is enforced through denial of the building permit itself. Section 2.6 makes any violation of the Regulations, or failure to obey a directed order from County officials or the Planning Board, subject to the penalties set in Section 1-9 of the Benton County Code of Ordinances. Filing an application also lets Planning staff verify density compliance on-site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a short-term rental in unincorporated Benton County?
Does this rule apply inside Bentonville or Rogers?
Who can inspect my rental property once I file a site plan application?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Benton County
How Benton County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Benton County to another location·View the Arkansas short-term rentals overview
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