Kansas City, MO Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Primary residence threshold
- 270+ days per calendar year
- Annual registration fee
- $200 per dwelling unit
- Fine for violation
- $200-$1,000 per day
- Non-resident STRs
- Allowed, with zoning/density limits
- Enforcing agency
- Neighborhood Services Department
Summary
Kansas City lets owner-occupants register a resident short-term rental only if they maintain primary residence on the property; non-resident rentals are legal too but face separate zoning, density, and licensing rules under Code Chapter 56, Article VIII.
For any dwelling unit registered as a resident short-term rental pursuant to section 56-803(2)d. or 56-812(b)(2)a., it shall be unlawful to offer, provide or operate a short-term rental within such dwelling unit without the registrant maintaining their primary residence on the parcel where such dwelling unit is located.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 139 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 38).
Full Breakdown
A registrant claiming 'resident short-term rental' status must certify under § 56-803(2)d that they will maintain primary residence on the parcel for the 12-month registration period, defined in § 56-802 as occupying it a cumulative minimum of 270 days per year (only one primary residence allowed). § 56-807(b) makes it unlawful to operate that registration without keeping up primary residence. Non-resident (non-owner-occupied) short-term rentals remain legal but must clear zoning-district eligibility and density/spacing caps in § 56-803(3), cannot sit on a property receiving city economic incentives, and need a chapter 40 business license. Both pay a $200 annual registration fee to the neighborhood services department.
Violations & Fines
Operating a resident short-term rental without maintaining primary residence on the parcel violates § 56-807(b); conviction brings a fine of $200-$1,000 per day, up to 180 days' imprisonment, plus one- to three-year deregistration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent out a Kansas City house that isn't my primary residence?
What counts as maintaining primary residence for a resident short-term rental?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kansas City
Compare Kansas City to another location·View the Missouri short-term rentals overview
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