Rental Rules by City / Montana / Billings

Billings short-term rental rules & tax calculator

Yellowstone County, Montana · Verified against official sources Oct 24, 2026

📋 The Basics

Can I rent my place short-term here?: Yes, with a permit
Do I need a permit?: Yes: a $300 city STR permit plus a $55 business license.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 8%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Apply for the city STR permit.
Get a city business license.
Collect 8% Montana lodging taxes.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Renting without the permit ($300+/day).

Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.

Tax calculator

Nightly rate ($) Nights Cleaning fee ($)

Rates used: Montana lodging facility use tax 4% + Montana lodging sales tax 4% = 8%. Mandatory cleaning fees are included in the taxable total. 8% Montana state lodging taxes (DOR). No city lodging tax found: verify.

What Airbnb collects: Verify in payouts which taxes your platform remits.

This is the general rule for Billings. Does your address qualify?

The free info covers the city as a whole. Your property can still be different: zoning can change from one street to the next, and an HOA or condo ban can stop rentals even where the city allows them. The penalties Billings lists are on the Billings page.

Your $49 Compliance Check looks at your exact property:

Whether your exact address and zone allow short-term rentals
A check of HOA / condo rental restrictions to look for
Which permits and tax accounts you personally need
What you're missing right now
A personal report with clear next steps and official sources, by email
A refund if we report a rule in error (refund policy)

🔎 How we check: official city, county and state sources, a last-verified date on every page, and nothing guessed. Learn more

Check my address: $49

🔔 Stay notified: $4.99/month

Rules don't change every week, but they do change, and nobody emails you when they do. We'll alert you when city rules, tourist taxes, HOA-related laws, or Airbnb/Vrbo policies change in Billings. Cancel anytime.

Stay notified

Need guest waivers and booking tools too? Click here for more info

Why use this instead of a web search?

Instead of scattered, sometimes outdated pages, you get the city, county and state rules on one page, with official sources linked, a last-checked date, and unconfirmed items marked "verify" instead of guessed. How we verify →

Advanced details (laws, fees, sources)

Rules

Permit	A City Short Term Rental Permit ($300) and a City business license ($55 first-time) are required for any residential rental under 30 days in city limits. Both renew annually.
Penalty	Civil penalties per BMCC 18-1304: $300 first offense; each additional day is a new violation, up to $500.
Application	Joint City/County STR application through Planning & Community Services.

Items marked "Verify with the city" could not be confirmed from an official source; call the office listed before relying on them.

Sources

Free tools

Free "Is my rental legal?" checklist · Free tourist tax calculator

Rules can change

Billings's rules, its tax rates and platform policies can change through a council vote, a new state law or a court ruling, often with little notice to hosts. We re-check this page monthly; subscribers get notified. Stay Compliant for $4.99/mo.

Want it done for you?

Get a personalized STR Compliance Check ($49) for your exact address in any US city: the permits, registrations and tax accounts you need, with official sources, delivered by email in 48 business hours. Not legal advice.

Pay $49, Get My Compliance Check

By paying, you agree to our Terms and Refund Policy How we verify.

Stay Compliant: $4.99/month

Rules, tax rates and Airbnb/Vrbo policies can change without warning, and hosts who miss a change can be fined. Get alerts when your city, county or state changes, deadline reminders, a pending-bill watch list and a monthly host brief (even in quiet months: "we checked on [date]; no changes"). Compare plans.

Subscribe, $4.99/month

By paying, you agree to our Terms and Refund Policy.

Not legal or tax advice. Last verified Oct 24, 2026. Rules and rates change: confirm with the official sources linked before you rent or file.