St. Louis County, MN Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Ordinance No. 16, the St. Louis County Requirements for Lodging Establishments, applies to hotels, lodging houses, boarding houses and resorts operating under the jurisdiction of the St. Louis County Board of Health, which covers the county's unincorporated area (cities like Duluth, Hibbing, Virginia and Eveleth license these uses under their own codes). Section 1 defines a "lodging house" as a building with five or more beds let to the public for stays of a week or longer, and a "resort" as a lakeside, stream-side or hunting/skiing-area property with five or more cottages, rooms or enclosures for rent to recreational guests.

Section 3(a) makes it unlawful to operate any of these without a valid license from the Health Officer, and that license must be posted on site; the license year runs January 1 through December 31 and does not carry over. Section 3(c) requires a written application on Health Officer forms listing the applicant's name and address, business structure (individual, firm, corporation, or partnership with partner names/addresses), the location and type of the proposed establishment, and a signature; oral or incomplete applications are rejected outright. Under Section 3(e), the Health Officer inspects the property before issuing the license and must hold a hearing before the Board of Health if a license is denied. Section 3(g) requires at least one Health Officer inspection every 12 months after licensing, with additional inspections as needed for enforcement.