Lafayette, LA Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $100.00, non-refundable
- Renewal fee
- $100.00 annually
- Tax registration
- Current Lafayette Parish School System account required
- Financial clearance
- Zero balance on city fees/fines/ad valorem tax
- Governing section
- Sec. 73-16(b), Lafayette Code of Ordinances
Summary
A Lafayette short-term rental license costs $100.00 up front, non-refundable and non-transferable, with the same $100.00 due again at annual renewal. Sec. 73-16(b) also requires proof of a current Lafayette Parish School System tax account before the license issues, since that agency collects the local sales and related taxes STR operators owe.
(1)Payment of a $100.00 non-refundable, non-transferrable license fee. License fees remitted in connection with a new license issued for less than a calendar year shall be prorated; ... (11)Proof that the operator/licensee has a current registered account with the Lafayette Parish School System for remittance of all applicable taxes related to the operation of the short-term rental;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Sec. ' Sec. 00 as a 'non-refundable, non-transferrable application fee' for the annual renewal, which must be filed at least 60 days before the license expires on December 31. Beyond the license fee itself, Sec. 73-16(b)(11) requires 'proof that the operator/licensee has a current registered account with the Lafayette Parish School System for remittance of all applicable taxes related to the operation of the short-term rental': the School Board's sales tax division collects local sales and use taxes under Chapter 82, so this subsection ties the STR license to actual tax compliance rather than imposing a separate STR-specific tax.
Sec. 73-16(b)(3) additionally requires 'documentary evidence of a zero-balance for all imposed fees, fines, assessments, charges, penalties, taxes, levies' owed by the operator, plus proof of paid ad valorem taxes on the rental property, before a license or renewal will issue. Miss any of these financial requirements and the application can be denied outright or deemed abandoned after the 45-day cure period in Sec. 73-16(c).
Violations & Fines
Falsifying the zero-balance certification or the school-system tax account proof required by Sec. 73-16(b) exposes an operator to license denial, and, if discovered after issuance, to a fine or to conditioning, suspension, or revocation of an existing license under Sec. 73-27, following the same 14-day notice, informal hearing, and 21-day District Court appeal process that governs every other Chapter 73 violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a Lafayette short-term rental license?
Do STR operators pay a separate Lafayette lodging tax?
Can unpaid property taxes block my STR license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lafayette
How Lafayette compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·Compare Lafayette to another location·View the Louisiana short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.