Regulation ranking
The 30 Strictest Airbnb Cities in 2026
65 tracked markets are rated 4/5 or 5/5 for regulation strictness. Here is what the rules actually say.
This page lists markets we rate 4/5 (Strict) or 5/5 (Very strict) for short-term rental regulation: 65 of the 174 rated markets. The strictest come first, and for each we quote the cap or permit rule and status note held in our regulation table, where we have one. A strict rating does not make a market uninvestable, but it usually means caps, zoning limits, owner-occupancy rules or waitlists that decide which properties can legally operate.
Last updated October 1, 2026
10
markets rated 5/5 Very strict
55
markets rated 4/5 Strict
65 of 174
rated markets are Strict or Very strict
Top 30: strictest Airbnb cities
| Rank | Market | State | Regulation | Cap / permit rule on file, and status | Annual revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HonoluluHonolulu County | HI | 5/5 Very strict | Cap: No numeric cap; STRs are confined by zoning to resort-zoned areas and specific apartment-zoned areas mapped in Ordinance 25-52. NUCs are a closed category — no new NUCs are issued. | $81K |
| 2 | St. PetersburgPinellas County | FL | 5/5 Very strict | Cap: Max 3 stays under 30 days per 365 days in most residential zones (pre-2011, grandfathered)Status: Exempt downtown/mixed-use zones exist; get written zoning determination. | $66K |
| 3 | New OrleansOrleans Parish | LA | 5/5 Very strict | Cap: NSTR permits are rationed per city square by lottery; the city's review checklist also requires that no owner owns any other STR-permitted property in their name | $59K |
| 4 | DeadwoodLawrence County | SD | 5/5 Very strict | Permit: Conditional Use Permit for a 'Vacation Home Establishment,' reviewed annually by the Deadwood Planning & Zoning Commission and Board; only allowed in Commercial and Commercial Highway zoning districts.Status: Deadwood has banned new short-term rentals in residentially-zoned areas and has separately prohibited first-floor short-term rental use within the local historic district — this is one of the most restrictive markets in the eight-state research region. | |
| 5 | DuluthSt. Louis County | MN | 5/5 Very strict | Cap: Citywide cap on non-owner-occupied vacation dwelling permits, reported in the roughly 60-120 permit range and growing only slowly each year; the waitlist created by the most recent (2024) lottery is not expected to reopen for the foreseeable future.Status: As of the most recent city guidance, the Interim Use Permit waitlist has no opening expected in the foreseeable future — an investor buying property specifically to run a non-owner-occupied Duluth STR should assume no path to a new permit exists today. | |
| 6 | GalenaJo Daviess County | IL | 5/5 Very strict | Cap: City Council-set cap on total vacation rental licenses; all licenses are currently allocated, with a substantial waitlist for new applicants and no published timeline for new openings.Status: New vacation rental licenses within city limits are effectively unavailable; prospective investors should contact the Zoning Administrator to confirm waitlist position, or consider unincorporated Jo Daviess County, which is governed by different zoning rules. | |
| 7 | NewportNewport County | RI | 5/5 Very strict | Cap: No numeric cap, but effectively banned in all residential zones (R3–R160); allowed by right only in GB/WB/CI zones, conditional Special Use Permit in the Limited Business zone | |
| 8 | TaosTaos County | NM | 5/5 Very strict | Cap: Town: hard cap of 120 STR permits citywide, allocated first-come-first-served, plus outright bans in Historic Districts, Historic and Hotel Overlay Zones, and the Central Business District (with limited renewal-only exceptions for previously permitted units…Status: Two separate STR regimes (Town of Taos vs. unincorporated Taos County) apply depending on the exact parcel location — always confirm which jurisdiction governs a specific property before assuming either cap or rule set applies. | |
| 9 | WashingtonDistrict of Columbia | DC | 5/5 Very strict | Cap: Not a numeric citywide cap, but a structural ban on non-primary-residence STR investment; the Vacation Rental type is additionally capped at 90 cumulative nights/year | |
| 10 | MauiMaui County | HI | 5/5 Very strict | $118K | |
| 11 | VailEagle County | CO | 4/5 Strict | Permit: Town of Vail STR Licence, in three types: Individual Property Owners, Professional Property Managers, and On-Site 24/7 Front Desk Managed. Requires a notarised STR Self-Compliance Affidavit and, where applicable, a passed Certificate of Fire Inspection… | $126K |
| 12 | Park CitySummit County | UT | 4/5 Strict | Permit: Nightly Rental licence administered by Park City Municipal (nightly_rental@parkcity.gov, 435-615-5231); nightly rentals are regulated under Park City Municipal Code 4-5-3 | $105K |
| 13 | Key WestMonroe County | FL | 4/5 Strict | Permit: City of Key West transient rental medallion (regulatory licence under Sec. 18-147 of the municipal code) supporting a Business Tax Receipt, plus a Florida DBPR vacation rental licence | $104K |
| 14 | Lake TahoePlacer County | CA | 4/5 Strict | Cap: 900 VHR permits in residential areas, with a City-maintained waitlist in application-completion order once exceeded; Tourist Core and Commercial zones are not subject to the cap | $98K |
| 15 | MiamiMiami-Dade County | FL | 4/5 Strict | Permit: Certificate of Use + Business Tax Receipt | $83K |
| 16 | San DiegoSan Diego County | CA | 4/5 Strict | Cap: Tier 3 capped at 1% of total citywide housing units excluding Mission Beach CPA; Tier 4 capped at 30% of housing units in the Mission Beach CPA; both recalculated every two years from SANDAG estimates. As of 11 Sept 2026: Tier 3 4,862 issued / 799 remaining… | $75K |
| 17 | Lake OconeeMorgan County | GA | 4/5 Strict | Cap: Greene restricts STRs to mapped overlay districtsStatus: GA SB 570 training required for all STR operators from 1 Jul 2026. Private lake communities add their own rental rules. | $65K |
| 18 | Lake LanierHall County | GA | 4/5 Strict | Cap: Forsyth effectively excludes residential zonesStatus: GA SB 570 training required for all STR operators from 1 Jul 2026. Gwinnett adopted new ordinance Apr 2026 - rollout into 2027. | $62K |
| 19 | Chelan CountyChelan County | WA | 4/5 Strict | Cap: 6% of housing units; Leavenworth / Lake Wenatchee / Plain already over capStatus: Permit transferability ends 26 Sep 2026. | $57K |
| 20 | EllijayGilmer County | GA | 4/5 Strict | Cap: City bans STRs in residential zones (500 ft neighbour notice for CUP)Status: GA SB 570 training required for all STR operators from 1 Jul 2026. County enforcement began 1 Jan 2026. | $57K |
| 21 | DahlonegaLumpkin County | GA | 4/5 Strict | Cap: City bans STRs in R-1 single-family zoningStatus: GA SB 570 training required for all STR operators from 1 Jul 2026. | $52K |
| 22 | DenverDenver County | CO | 4/5 Strict | Permit: STR License required | $46K |
| 23 | SeattleKing County | WA | 4/5 Strict | Cap: Up to two dwelling units per operator; if two, one must be the operator's primary residence. Rented rooms without their own kitchen and bathroom do not count. Limited exceptions exist for units legally operated before Sept 30, 2017, and renters may obtain an… | $46K |
| 24 | Whatcom CountyWhatcom County | WA | 4/5 Strict | Cap: Banned in Lake Whatcom Watershed and shoreline areas | $46K |
| 25 | St. LouisSt. Louis city | MO | 4/5 Strict | Cap: 1 occupied + 4 non-occupied permits per natural person; building caps 50% / 25% / 12.5%Status: PERMIT REGIME ENJOINED by court order since Apr 2025 - check city status page. | $42K |
| 26 | BiloxiHarrison County | MS | 4/5 Strict | Cap: Banned entirely in the AR, RS-5, RS-7.5, RS-10, Residential Estate (RE) and Residential Estate Restricted (RER) zoning districts; limited to a maximum of four STR units per tax parcel where permitted. | |
| 27 | ChicagoCook County | IL | 4/5 Strict | Cap: No citywide numeric cap, but STRs are prohibited on the Prohibited Buildings List and within City Council-designated Restricted Residential Zones (RRZs), effectively banning STRs in parts of the city. | |
| 28 | East HamptonSuffolk County | NY | 4/5 Strict | Cap: No blanket numeric cap on total registrations townwide, but each property is capped at a maximum of 2 rentals of under 2 weeks within any rolling 6-month period; 'share houses' (splitting occupancy rights among multiple parties/time periods) are prohibited…Status: The Town has been intensifying enforcement, including reported use of AI tools to flag unregistered listings, with local reporting finding roughly half of active listings unlicensed — signals a rising compliance-risk environment for buyers assuming they can… | |
| 29 | Lake PlacidEssex County | NY | 4/5 Strict | Cap: Unhosted permits capped at 165 townwide; as of recent local reporting only ~3 unhosted and ~16 hosted town permits remained available — unhosted category effectively full.Status: The town/village previously imposed a moratorium on new STR permits and has since managed/lowered the unhosted cap; the unhosted-permit ceiling is effectively reached, making an existing permitted unhosted property materially more valuable than pursuing a new… | |
| 30 | LawrenceDouglas County | KS | 4/5 Strict | Cap: No citywide numeric unit cap, but a single owner/licensee may hold no more than three active short-term rental licenses at one time, and non-owner-occupied STRs are banned in RS and PD zoning districts (with an exception for an ADU/duplex on an owner-occupied…Status: For the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Kansas City-area matches, with Lawrence's Rock Chalk Park considered as a possible team training/recovery site), the City Commission adopted temporary amendments to expand STR lodging supply during the tournament window — confirm… |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Ranked by strictness rating; within a rating, markets with a cap or permit rule on file are listed first, then by revenue. Rule text is quoted from our regulation table and shortened where long. Follow each market link for the full rules.
How to read this
- Regulation ratings run from 1/5 (Relaxed) to 5/5 (Very strict) and summarise the rules we hold on file. Rules change, and a city rating does not cover HOA or deed restrictions. Confirm current requirements with the local jurisdiction before you buy or list.
- Annual revenue is the average annual gross STR revenue from STR HUB's market analytics, the same figure shown on each market page. It is gross, and an individual property can earn more or less.
- An empty cell means we do not hold that figure for the market. We never estimate or interpolate a missing number.
Frequently asked questions
Which cities have the strictest Airbnb rules in 2026?
10 tracked markets are rated 5/5 Very strict: Honolulu, HI, St. Petersburg, FL, New Orleans, LA, Deadwood, SD, Duluth, MN, Galena, IL, Newport, RI, Taos, NM, Washington, DC and Maui, HI. Another 55 are rated 4/5 Strict.
How many STR markets are rated Strict or Very strict?
65 of the 174 markets we rate: 55 at 4/5 Strict and 10 at 5/5 Very strict. 38 of them have a specific cap or permit rule recorded in our regulation table.
How does revenue in strict markets compare with the rest?
The 28 Strict or Very strict markets with revenue data have a median average annual gross revenue of $69K, compared with $59K across all 88 markets with revenue data. That is a comparison of market averages, not proof that rules raise or lower earnings; strict rules mainly decide which properties can legally operate.
Which state has the most markets on the strictest list?
California, Florida and Georgia tie with 5 markets each out of the 65 qualifying. California: Lake Tahoe, San Diego, LA, Napa Valley and Mammoth Lakes. Florida: St. Petersburg, Key West, Miami, Naples and Clearwater Beach. Georgia: Lake Oconee, Lake Lanier, Ellijay, Dahlonega and Tybee Island.
See these on the interactive map
Turn on the Regulation overlay to see Strict and Very strict markets in red, and open any pin for its permit, cap and penalty details.
More rankings
Best STR markets overall Top markets by Opportunity Score, full-basis scores only. Highest gross yield Revenue relative to the county's typical 4BR home value. Highest Airbnb revenue Top markets by average annual gross STR revenue. STR markets under $400K Markets where the county's typical 4BR home is under $400K, by opportunity score. STR markets under $600K Markets where the county's typical 4BR home is under $600K, by opportunity score. Most STR-friendly cities Relaxed or Light-touch rules, ordered by gross yield. Rising home values Tracked markets where county home values rose fastest over the past year. Cooling home values Tracked markets where county home values fell most over the past year. Resort economies Counties with the highest vacation-home density, with tourism job share. Best markets for large homes Deepest supply of 4+ bedroom homes among markets scoring 50+.
State pages for the top markets here
- Florida STR markets
- Minnesota STR markets
- Illinois STR markets
- Rhode Island STR markets
- New Mexico STR markets
- All rankings →
Data sources
- Revenue, nightly rate, occupancy and regulation ratings: STR HUB market analytics and regulation research.
Figures come from the STR HUB national dataset dated October 1, 2026 and are refreshed whenever that dataset is rebuilt. Screening data only: not investment, legal or tax advice.
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