Rogers, AR Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Some cities restrict short-term rentals to an owner's primary residence to limit investor-owned whole-home rentals, but Rogers has not adopted such a rule. There is no published Rogers ordinance section conditioning a short-term rental on owner occupancy, primary-residence status, or homestead designation. Because Rogers regulates vacation rentals through its general business-license, Certificate of Occupancy, and lodging-tax framework rather than a dedicated short-term rental ordinance, the city does not distinguish between an owner-occupied rental and a non-owner-occupied investment property; both are permitted so long as the operator completes the business license, passes the Community Risk Reduction Division inspection, and registers to collect and remit the 3% lodging tax. This permissive posture is consistent with Arkansas's hands-off state approach, under which there is currently no statewide short-term rental licensing scheme and no state preemption forcing or forbidding local primary-residence rules; cities retain primary regulatory authority. (A 2025 state bill, HB1790, would have barred local governments from effectively banning short-term rentals but died at the legislature's adjournment.) Owners considering an investment short-term rental in Rogers should still confirm zoning compatibility for the specific property and watch for any future ordinance that could add owner-occupancy or density conditions.