Rental Rules by City / Utah / Moab

    Moab short-term rental rules & tax calculator

    Grand County, Utah · Verified against official sources Oct 24, 2026

    📋 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

    1. Confirm your zone allows nightly rentals.
    2. Pass building, fire and health inspections.
    3. 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.

    Tax calculator

    Rates used: Sales tax (state + local, incl. resort tax) 8.75% + State transient room tax 0.32% + Transient room taxes (county 4.25% + city 1.5%) 5.75% = 14.82%. Mandatory cleaning fees are included in the taxable total. 14.82% total inside Moab city limits per Grand County's rate table (11.42% in unincorporated Grand County).

    What Airbnb collects: Verify in payouts which Utah state and local taxes Airbnb remits; Moab requires owners to collect applicable taxes.

    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:

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    Instead of scattered, sometimes outdated pages, you get the city, county and state rules on one page, with official sources linked, a last-checked date, and unconfirmed items marked "verify" instead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

    LicenseEvery nightly rental (30 days or less) in Moab needs a City nightly rental business license in the owner's name, one per property.
    ZoningOnly where nightly rentals are an allowed use in the zone.
    InspectionsBuilding, fire and health inspections before the license is issued.
    LimitsMax 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.
    Fees$250 initial, $52 renewal (4 units or fewer).

    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

    Moab'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.

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    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.