Santa Fe, NM Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

2(A)(5), the Short-Term Rental Unit Ordinance, requires every owner to hold a city-issued business license plus either a permit, for residentially zoned property, or a registration, for non-residentially zoned property, before renting, offering to rent, or advertising a unit; a permit or registration number must appear in every listing. The Land Use Director issues permits in the order complete applications arrive, up to a citywide cap of 1,000, after which new applicants join a waiting list. Each natural person may hold only one permit, though the property itself can still be titled in an LLC, corporation or revocable trust.

A new permit is generally barred within a 50-foot radius of a property that already holds one, except for accessory dwelling units and for units in buildings of four or more dwellings, which can hold permits for up to 25 percent of the units and no more than 12 permits per building. Before issuance, the city inspects the unit for a fire evacuation plan, carbon monoxide detection, smoke alarms in every bedroom, fire extinguishers on each floor, and four-inch address numerals visible from the street.

Application costs $100, the annual business license is $35, and the permit or registration itself runs $290 a year; renewal is due by March 15, with a $50 late fee extending the deadline to April 15. A permitted unit cannot be rented more than once in any 7-day period except between November 15 and January 15, and total occupancy is capped at twice the number of bedrooms.