Moab, UT Short-Term Rental Checklist (Free, Printable)

📋 The Basics

Can I rent my place short-term here?: Only in some areas
Do I need a permit?: Yes. You need a City nightly rental license per property.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 14.82%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Confirm your zone allows nightly rentals.
Pass building, fire and health inspections.
Get the license and register for Utah sales and room taxes.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Renting in a zone where nightly rentals aren't allowed.

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

This is the general rule for Moab. 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.

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

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Permit / license / registration

License: Every nightly rental (30 days or less) in Moab needs a City nightly rental business license in the owner's name, one per property.
Inspections: Building, fire and health inspections before the license is issued.

Zoning, where allowed & definitions

Zoning: Only where nightly rentals are an allowed use in the zone.
Limits: Max stay 30 days; max 10 guests unless the Fire Chief approves more; smoke and CO detectors in each bedroom; respond to complaints within 1 hour.

Night limits, minimum stays & occupancy

Not listed on our page: Verify with the city/county before renting.

Fees, penalties & pending changes

Fees: License fees (reported as $250 initial, $52 renewal for 4 units or fewer): verify with the City of Moab business licensing office.

Taxes & who collects them

Register / account for Sales tax (state + local, incl. resort tax) (8.75%)
Register / account for State transient room tax (0.32%)
Register / account for Transient room taxes (county 4.25% + city 1.5%) (5.75%)
What Airbnb collects: Verify in payouts which Utah state and local taxes Airbnb remits; Moab requires owners to collect applicable taxes.
Vrbo and direct bookings: check which taxes Vrbo collects in your area; for direct bookings you collect and remit all of them yourself.

Total rate: 14.82%. 14.82% total inside Moab city limits per Grand County's rate table (11.42% in unincorporated Grand County). Calculate.

HOA / condo check

Read your declaration, bylaws and rules for rental bans, minimum terms, caps and approval requirements.
Get any association sign-off or approval letter your city or association requires.
See our HOA & condo guide.

Insurance

Confirm your homeowner/condo policy covers short-term rental use, or add a short-term rental policy. Platform host protection is not a substitute for insurance.
Ask your association whether it requires specific liability coverage.

Deadlines

Renew city/county permits or registrations on their schedule (often annually): confirm the date with the office that issued it.
File state and local lodging tax returns on the schedule your tax office assigns.

Official sources

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Is my Moab rental legal? Checklist