Is short-term rental legal in New Orleans, LA?
New Orleans runs residential STR permits through a per-square lottery — one residential permit per square (block), drawn by lot when more than one owner applies — plus operator licensing, and a near-total ban in the French Quarter.
Rules checked October 2026
Run the New Orleans verdict on your facts
| What counts as a short-term rental | New Orleans runs residential STR permits through a per-square lottery — one residential permit per square (block), drawn by lot when more than one owner applies — plus operator licensing, and a near-total ban in the French Quarter. |
|---|---|
| Permit / license | Residential STR Permit (RSTR) + Operator License (commercial permits for commercial zones) — issued by City of New Orleans, Safety & Permits |
| Fee | Permit and operator fees run several hundred dollars per year combined |
| Renewal | Annual renewal; the residential permit stays subject to the one-per-square rule |
| Primary-residence rule | Residential permits require a long-term resident operator — the permit holder must live on site / hold a homestead exemption for the property; an operator may hold only one residential permit. |
| Whole-home rental | Whole-home rental is the standard residential permit form — but only one permit exists per square, so your neighbor's permit can foreclose yours. |
| Night cap | — |
| Guests / occupancy | Occupancy limits on the permit |
| Minimum stay | None general |
| Zoning | French Quarter (Vieux Carré): residential STR is barred outside narrow exceptions. Garden District and other historic districts carry their own overlays. |
| Density / scarcity | One residential STR permit per square (block), allocated by lottery when contested |
| Fines | Unpermitted operation draws per-day fines under the city schedule and permit ineligibility — enforcement is complaint- and scrape-driven |
| Taxes | City occupational license + occupational/hotel taxes; state sales tax on top. |
| Platform duties | Platforms share permit data with the city; unpermitted listings are removed on notice. |
| State layer | No state preemption. New Orleans runs one of the most litigated regimes in the country (residential permits by lottery per square); most parishes are lighter. |
What trips hosts in New Orleans
- New Orleans is the one big city where the binding constraint is your block: one permit per square, drawn by lottery.
- Rules here have been litigated repeatedly (2023–25) — the stamp date on this page matters more than usual.
The private layer still applies
These are the city's rules. Your HOA, condo board, lease or mortgage can say no on top of them — that layer is printed as a warning in the checker, never merged into the city's verdict.
Sources: New Orleans Code of Ordinances Ch. 26 / CZO Art. 21 & STR program rules (2023–25) · Safety & Permits STR program. Rules checked October 2026.