Permits are issued to natural persons only, with a maximum of two permits per person. Citywide permits are capped at 1% of total housing units, and no permit issues for a unit within 100 feet of another permitted STR. Operators must also hold a valid city business registration.
Under Chapter 123, short-term rental permits are issued to 'natural persons' (individual human beings) only, with a maximum of two permits per natural person. The property itself may be titled to a trust, LLC, or corporation, provided the permit-holding individual has legal authority to act for that entity. The total number of STR permits citywide is capped annually at one percent (1%) of the total housing units in Rio Rancho, as listed in the Comparative Housing Characteristics table of the most recent U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey as of January 1 each year. A permit will not be issued for a unit located within a 100-foot radius of an already-permitted short-term rental, so units must effectively be at least 100 feet apart. Permits are not transferable to another person or property; upon transfer of ownership of the unit, the permit terminates. Beyond the STR permit, operators must maintain a valid business registration with the City of Rio Rancho (a $35 registration fee) and obtain a New Mexico business tax ID, using NAICS code 531190 (Lessors of Other Real Estate Property). Operators must register on the city's Lodgers' Tax Payment Portal to remit monthly occupancy tax.
Operating without registration, exceeding two permits per person, or violating the cap or 100-foot spacing rule can result in denial, and operating in violation of Chapter 123 is subject to penalties under Section 10.99.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
rio-rancho-nm
Rio Rancho has no ordinance prohibiting backyard composting, and the City does not publish backyard-composting container rules. Green waste must be taken to ...
rio-rancho-nm
Rio Rancho does not publish a specific ordinance permitting or banning artificial turf. The City's Chapter 154 landscaping rules target cool-season natural t...
rio-rancho-nm
Rio Rancho encourages native and low-water-use plants and, under Chapter 154 (Planning and Zoning), prohibits cool-season turf grass in residential front yar...
rio-rancho-nm
Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged for Rio Rancho residents. There is no City prohibition; the practice is governed by New Mexico's Office of the S...
rio-rancho-nm
Under Chapter 52 (Water Conservation), Rio Rancho prohibits spray irrigation from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day from April 1 through October 31 for all properti...
rio-rancho-nm
Under Chapter 91 (Nuisances; Health and Sanitation), Rio Rancho requires developed property to be kept free of dry vegetation, tumbleweeds, weeds, bushes, an...
See how Rio Rancho's registration rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.