Lawrence, KS Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Lawrence's short-term rental code, codified at §§ 6-1351 through 6-1374, defines 'non-owner occupied' as any lot with a dwelling unit in which the owner resides less than 271 days per calendar year, and 'owner occupied' as residing more than 270 days per calendar year, under § 6-1352. Section 6-1353(c) bars the city from accepting an application for, or issuing, a short-term rental license to a non-owner-occupied property located in an R-1 or R-2 residential low-density district or a PD planned development district. Subsection (d) carves out a narrow exception: an accessory dwelling unit or a two-unit dwelling on a lot in one of those districts may still be used as short-term residential rental property, but only if the lot is owner-occupied and the accessory dwelling unit or two-unit dwelling is otherwise a lawful use of the property.

The restriction sits alongside a citywide cap of three short-term rental licenses per person under § 6-1353(b), and an application 'rejected under section 6-1353(c)' is treated as a denial under § 6-1357(c), triggering the same 14-day appeal window to the department of planning and development services as any other short-term rental license denial. Operating a non-owner-occupied short-term rental in a restricted district without qualifying under the ADU or two-unit exception is also listed as a separate unlawful act at § 6-1371(c).