New Orleans, LA 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 an NSTR (residential) or CSTR (commercial) license; new NSTR licenses come by lottery.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 11.75% plus $5.50 per night. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Check whether your block can get an NSTR license and enter the quarterly lottery.
For commercial, get zoning and Planning Commission approval first.
Register for parish taxes and the per-night fee.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Buying expecting a license: NSTR is mostly one per block.

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

This is the general rule for New Orleans. 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 New Orleans lists are on the New Orleans 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

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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 New Orleans. Cancel anytime.

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Permit / license / registration

Two permit types: NSTR (non-commercial, residential) and CSTR (commercial). Each unit rented under 30 days needs a license.
NSTR lottery: New NSTR licenses are issued by quarterly lottery, generally one per square (block); application windows and lottery dates are posted by the city. Licenses are non-transferable and renew yearly (2026 renewals were due by May 2, 2026).
CSTR: Requires a Non-Structural Renovation permit, City Planning Commission conditional-use approval, floorplan, evacuation and operations plans, and a noise monitoring device.
Fines: Up to $1,000 per violation at adjudication.

Zoning, where allowed & definitions

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

Night limits, minimum stays & occupancy

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

Fees, penalties & pending changes

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

Taxes & who collects them

Register / account for Orleans Parish gross rentals tax (5%)
Register / account for Orleans Parish occupancy tax (6.75%)
Per-night fee $5.50
What Airbnb collects: Confirm in your payouts which parish taxes and the per-night fees Airbnb remits; anything it does not, you file with the Bureau of Revenue.
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: 11.75%. City/parish taxes per nola.gov: 5% gross rentals + 6.75% occupancy, plus $5/night NSTR fee ($12 for CSTR) and $0.50/night occupancy privilege (shown as $5.50 flat). Louisiana state sales tax NOT included: verify with LDR. 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 New Orleans rental legal? Checklist