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.
Short-Term Rentals in Iowa (2026)
16 rules on the books across Iowa, 5 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Short-Term Rental Permits
Whether you need a license or permit to list your property on Airbnb, VRBO, or similar platforms, and what the application process looks like.
Iowa City
Significant RestrictionsIowa City requires anyone offering a short-term rental, a stay of 30 days or less in a house, condo, cooperative…
Read full rule →Johnson County
Some RestrictionsRenting a single-family home, ADU, seasonal home, cabin, or multi-family unit short term in unincorporated Johnson…
Read full rule →Story County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Story County, turning a spare room into overnight-guest lodging is treated as a home business, not a…
Read full rule →Noise Rules
Noise restrictions that apply specifically to short-term rental properties, including quiet hours and rules about parties and gatherings.
Davenport
Some RestrictionsSTR guests fall under Davenport's Noise Abatement chapter: no disturbance across a property line during nighttime (10…
Read full rule →Johnson County
Some RestrictionsState law lets cities regulate short-term rentals for noise and nuisance even though they cannot ban them. Iowa City's…
Read full rule →Taxes & Fees
Transient occupancy taxes, tourism fees, and other charges that hosts must collect from guests or pay to the city.
Iowa: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsIowa imposes a flat 5% state excise tax on the sales price of every short-term rental, collected from the guest by the…
Read full rule →Johnson County
Some RestrictionsShort-term stays in Johnson County owe Iowa's 5% state hotel/motel excise tax plus the local hotel/motel tax, which is…
Read full rule →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.
Occupancy Limits
Maximum number of guests allowed per rental unit, often based on the number of bedrooms or square footage of the property.
Iowa City
Some RestrictionsIowa City treats a short-term rental, a house or unit let for 30 days or less, as a rental property that needs a City…
Read full rule →Johnson County
Some RestrictionsIowa City can set occupancy limits for short-term rentals through building and nuisance rules, but state law bars…
Read full rule →Story County
Some RestrictionsA bed and breakfast operating as a home business in unincorporated Story County can host no more than two families'…
Read full rule →Insurance Requirements
Liability insurance minimums and other coverage that hosts must carry when renting their property to short-term guests.
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.
Repeat Violator Strikes
Three-strike or escalating-penalty systems for hosts with repeated noise, occupancy, or registration violations, including permit revocation thresholds.