Little Rock short-term rental permits: STR-1 and STR-2

How do you begin a Little Rock rental application?

Begin by asking the city to classify the proposed use at the exact property address. Describe the rental arrangement before choosing an application. Explain whether the owner lives there, whether guests rent rooms or the home, and whether the owner intends to be away during bookings.

Ask which rental category applies, which zoning districts permit the proposed arrangement, and which decision-making body must approve it. Have the city identify the current application and any property-specific conditions. The neighborhood and town directory can help an owner distinguish a Little Rock neighborhood from a separate municipality.

• STR-1: ask which owner-occupied arrangements qualify and which approval is needed.
• STR-2: ask how a non-owner-occupied proposal is treated and who decides it.

• Adoption: Little Rock adopted Ordinance No. 22,274 on June 20, 2023.
• Citywide cap: the May 2026 staff report confirms a maximum of 500 short-term rentals.

The city-hosted short-term rental ordinance is a starting point for questions to the city. Ask how current amendments and the property's zoning affect an application; a cap is not a statement that a place remains available.

What plans and insurance must accompany the application?

The application requires a parking plan and a scaled floor plan showing rental rooms, windows, doors, and smoke detectors. Prepare plans that match the home guests will actually use. Identify any room that will remain private and make the proposed car arrangements understandable without a verbal explanation.

• Substitute on-street guest parking: proposed spaces must be within 330 feet, and the plan must address neighborhood impact.
• Liability insurance: coverage must be at least $1,000,000 per occurrence.

Ask the city how to show proposed parking and which supporting materials it needs. Ask the insurer to identify coverage for the intended rental arrangement and provide the required documentation. The minimum coverage amount is an insurance limit; it is not the premium an owner will pay. Keep insurance budgeting separate from the other costs of operating a rental.

What must happen before guests occupy the home?

Before operation, the annual Building Code and Fire Marshal inspection fee must be paid and the annual business license payment received. Confirm inspection scheduling before promising an opening date. Ask what the inspectors need to see and how the city will communicate any required corrections.

Maximum occupancy is determined by the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code. Do not calculate a guest limit from the furniture layout or the number of beds purchased. Ask for the occupancy that applies to the approved arrangement, then make the listing and guest instructions agree with it.

Keep a renewal calendar for the operating payments and ask which documents must be submitted again. Obtain the current fee amounts directly from the city before budgeting or paying them. Inspection fees, a business license payment, and an insurance premium are different obligations; give each a separate place in the operating budget.

Which guest uses are prohibited?

Little Rock prohibits separate simultaneous rental contracts with different parties and prohibits private parties and special events in short-term rentals. A home offered as lodging should be described and managed accordingly. Someone attending a wedding elsewhere should understand that the rental is not an additional reception location.

• Paid occupancy shorter than a one-day rental is prohibited.
• Weddings, receptions, and similar private gatherings are not allowed in short-term rentals.

Explain these limits before accepting a booking request that mentions visitors or a celebration. Ask what the intended use is without assuming that a quiet-sounding occasion is automatically acceptable. Put the rules in the booking information and the arrival instructions so guests are not learning them after plans are made.

Can approval transfer when a property is sold?

Owners should ask the city to confirm the current transfer requirements before relying on an existing rental approval. At the adoption meeting, the Planning and Development director stated that Special Use Permits and planned developments would be tied to the owner rather than the property. That statement should prompt a property-specific question before a purchase.

Ask for a written answer about the proposed ownership change. Identify the existing approval, the intended purchaser, and any change in rental operation. Do not treat an active listing, a seller's statement, or a management agreement as evidence that the buyer can begin operating immediately.

Ask about enforcement and penalties during the same conversation. Request the current provisions, the conduct they cover, and the process for correcting a violation. An owner needs the actual requirements rather than a guessed fine or a promise that a small rental will receive an exception.

How should owners handle state and local taxes?

Keep state sales tax, local sales taxes, tourism tax, and lodging tax as separate questions when arranging rental accounting. Furnishing accommodations to transient guests is subject to Arkansas gross receipts tax. The state definition concerns accommodation away from the guest's regular home on less than a month-to-month basis.

Ask about the booking arrangement as well as the tax rate. Give the tax office the property address and explain how stays are sold, extended, and paid. Confirm who collects and remits each applicable tax instead of assuming a booking service handles every obligation.

The tax rates below are individual rates, not a combined lodging calculation. Ask how each applies to the specific rental and receipts. A longer stay also needs its own zoning and tax review; the mid-term stay guide helps owners prepare that discussion.

What should North Little Rock owners arrange?

North Little Rock requires lodging businesses, including home vacation rentals, to obtain a general business privilege license. A zoning certificate is required before the license application, and vacation house and room rentals also require an A&P permit. Check these separate approvals together rather than assuming payment of a tax settles zoning permission.

What should Maumelle owners ask?

In Maumelle, ask the city to confirm the current classification and permission for the proposed home rental. Earlier council minutes describe a proposed short-term rental ordinance at a reading. Ask for the current adopted requirements, including how owner occupancy, temporary absence, and a separate rental home are treated.

What should Sherwood owners ask?

For a Sherwood property, bring the intended rental arrangement to the city before advertising. Request the applicable zoning classification, license requirements, and tax duties for that address. Ask whether the answer changes when the owner remains at home or leaves during a stay.

What should Jacksonville owners ask?

Jacksonville council minutes describe work on a short-term rental ordinance. That earlier discussion is a reason to ask which adopted requirements now apply. Request the current rule and application route, and describe the intended use without treating a draft as permission.

What should Benton owners ask?

Benton has a published bed-and-breakfast definition that includes an owner-occupied dwelling and an operator living on the premises or adjacent premises. Guest rooms in that category must not have cooking facilities. Ask Planning & Zoning how the proposed rental is classified before applying those provisions to an entire home.

What should Bryant owners arrange?

Bryant restricts its short-term rental category to a single-family dwelling or accessory dwelling unit and requires the owner's permanent residence on the premises. A business license and conditional-use approval are part of that category. Discuss eligibility before planning the booking calendar, including evidence of the homestead tax credit.

What should Conway owners arrange?

Conway requires an STR license, inspection, commercial liability coverage, and a local property representative. Separate licenses are required for each unit and separately advertised site, and licenses cannot transfer to other people or locations. Coordinate the license and A&P permit with the City Clerk's Office before operating.

What should Cabot owners ask?

Cabot requires business licenses, including for sole proprietors and home-based businesses. Business premises undergo zoning, code, and fire-protection evaluation before the Clerk's Office issues a license after documentation and payments are complete. Confirm the rental classification as well as general licensing for a proposed home stay.