Short-Term Rentals in Iowa ( 2026 )

The City of Ames, Iowa requires Short-Term Rentals to either register under Chapter 35's Guest Lodging Code or fully…

Ankeny

Ankeny's Housing Code makes short-term rentals of 30 days or less subject to the same rental-housing certificate…

Iowa City

Iowa City requires anyone offering a short-term rental, a stay of 30 days or less in a house, condo, cooperative…

Johnson County

Renting a single-family home, ADU, seasonal home, cabin, or multi-family unit short term in unincorporated Johnson…

Story County

In unincorporated Story County, turning a spare room into overnight-guest lodging is treated as a home business, not a…

West Des Moines

In the City of West Des Moines, anyone renting out a dwelling, dwelling unit, or even a single room for 30 days or less…

Noise Rules

Noise restrictions that apply specifically to short-term rental properties, including quiet hours and rules about parties and gatherings.

Davenport

STR guests fall under Davenport's Noise Abatement chapter: no disturbance across a property line during nighttime (10…

Johnson County

State law lets cities regulate short-term rentals for noise and nuisance even though they cannot ban them. Iowa City's…

StatewideSome Restrictions

Taxes & Fees

Transient occupancy taxes, tourism fees, and other charges that hosts must collect from guests or pay to the city.

Iowa: statewide

Iowa imposes a flat 5% state excise tax on the sales price of every short-term rental, collected from the guest by the…

Ames

Ames Municipal Code Sec. 35.400(6) requires every registered Short-Term Rental in the City of Ames, Iowa to prove its…

Ankeny

The City of Ankeny, Iowa imposes a 7% local hotel and motel tax on the sales price from renting any lodging, including…

Johnson County

Short-term stays in Johnson County owe Iowa's 5% state hotel/motel excise tax plus the local hotel/motel tax, which is…

West Des Moines

In the City of West Des Moines, dwellings rented for a fee for 30 days or less are treated as short-term rentals under…

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Off-street parking requirements for rental guests, limits on the number of vehicles, and restrictions on street parking near rental properties.

Ames

Ames Municipal Code Sec. 35.400(5) sets off-street parking rules for registered Short-Term Rentals in the City of Ames…

Johnson County

A short-term rental in unincorporated Johnson County must supply off-street parking under the county's standard…

Occupancy Limits

Maximum number of guests allowed per rental unit, often based on the number of bedrooms or square footage of the property.

Ames

Ames Municipal Code Sec. 35.400(4) caps how many guests a registered Short-Term Rental may host in the City of Ames…

Iowa City

Iowa City treats a short-term rental, a house or unit let for 30 days or less, as a rental property that needs a City…

Johnson County

Iowa City can set occupancy limits for short-term rentals through building and nuisance rules, but state law bars…

Story County

A bed and breakfast operating as a home business in unincorporated Story County can host no more than two families'…

Insurance Requirements

Liability insurance minimums and other coverage that hosts must carry when renting their property to short-term guests.

Johnson County

Few Restrictions

Iowa City does not impose a short-term-rental-only insurance mandate, because state law bars STR-specific requirements…

Night Caps

Limits on how many nights per year a property can be rented as a short-term rental, sometimes called annual caps or night limits.

Ames

Ames Municipal Code Sec. 35.400(8)(b) caps Home Share rentals in the City of Ames, Iowa at a total of 90 days of use…

Host Presence Rule

Whether your city allows only home-sharing (host on-site during the rental) versus whole-home unhosted rentals, and the enforcement process for violations.

Johnson County

Johnson County allows an auxiliary dwelling unit to be rented as a short-term rental only if the property's legal owner…

Ames

Light Restrictions

The City of Ames, Iowa splits short-term rentals under Chapter 35 into two tracks based on whether the owner stays…

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Rules limiting short-term rentals to a host's primary residence, including documentation required to prove residency and rules against operating multiple listings.

Ames

In the City of Ames, Iowa, a dwelling unit can register as a Short-Term Rental only if it is the property owner's…

Sioux City

Sioux City has no separate short-term-rental code; paid overnight lodging in a home is regulated as a Bed and Breakfast…

Repeat Violator Strikes

Three-strike or escalating-penalty systems for hosts with repeated noise, occupancy, or registration violations, including permit revocation thresholds.

Iowa City

Heavy Restrictions

Iowa City tracks repeat code violations at a rental property and can downgrade, suspend, or revoke the rental permit…

Ames

Ames Municipal Code Sec. 35.500(6) lets the Enforcement Officer immediately revoke or suspend a Short-Term Rental…

West Des Moines

Short-term rentals in the City of West Des Moines are subject to the same rental housing certificate rules as long-term…