Short-term rental laws by city — the running directory

Madison tightened its short-term-rental rules in 2026: a license is required, and non-primary-residence rentals are capped at 180 nights per year. Wisconsin’s high property tax compounds the cap’s DSCR impact.

Gatlinburg permits overnight rentals throughout its tourist-oriented zoning with a city permit and fire-safety inspection. There is no annual night cap, which is why cabin investors favor it.

Bakersfield adopted its first short-term-rental ordinance in 2026, introducing a 120-night annual cap, a permit, and a local-contact requirement. The cap is new, so most evergreen lending pages are already wrong.

Short-term rentals are legal statewide under Arizona law, but Scottsdale requires a city STR license, a 24/7 local emergency contact, posted occupancy limits, and TPT registration. Operating without a license carries escalating fines.

New York City’s Local Law 18 requires STR registration and bars rentals under 30 days unless the host is present and the guest has full home access. In practice this prohibits the un-hosted whole-unit investor STR model, and enforcement (platform delistings + fines) has been aggressive.

The Broken Bow / Hochatown cabin market operates with light county-level registration and lodging-tax collection and no night cap, underpinning its rapid STR growth.