ILLEGAL
WHAT IS AN
SHORT-TERM RENTAL?
.
The City Code defines Short-Term Rentals
as properties for rent for fewer than 30
days, except in the French Quarter, where
the minimum rental is 60 days. City code
further prohibits the offering (e.g., advertising) of such properties.
It shall be unlawful for
any person to knowingly offer to rent for
monetary compensation for a period of less
than 30 days or, in the case of premises located in the Vieux Carré District, 60 days,
any living accommodations in the city if the
premises offered for rent are not lawfully licensed or permitted for such use.
Sec 54-491.1 reads:
ARE SHORT-TERM RENTALS LEGAL ANYWHERE?
Yes! Short-term rentals can be
legal in one of two ways.
First, they are permitted as a
matter of right in numerous
zoning districts. Hotels, guest
houses, and bed and breakfasts are allowed in most commercial zones.
Bed and breakfasts, which allow for the renting out of
rooms within an owneroccupied home, are conditional
uses in most residential zones
of the city. Details can be
found at nola.gov/onestop/business/bed-and-breakfast/
bed-breakfast-license
Contact info@noshort-term.org or the City Planning
Commission at 504.658.7000 x3 for further information.
The Professional Innkeepers Association of New Orleans
(PIANO), can also provide useful advice. You can reach
them via www.bbnola.com or bonnie@gvbb.com.
HOW CAN YOU REPORT
VIOLATIONS?
City of New Orleans:
Edward J. Horan
Zoning Administrator
ejhoran@nola.gov
Lily McNee Haggerty
Office of Safety & Permits
ljmcnee@nola.gov
Illegal
Short-Term
Rentals:
Other Resources:
New Orleans City Service Center
www.NOLA.gov/311
Dial 311 or (504) 658-2299
Short-Term Rental Committee:
info@noshort-term.org
WHO WE ARE
The Short Term Rental Committee is
composed of people from across New
Orleans who advocate for the protection
of neighborhoods from the intrusion of
illegal short-term rentals, which
introduce commercial uses into
residential areas, displace actual
residents, and undermine the building
blocks of our city.
A Guide for
New Orleans
Neighborhoods
and Residents
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
Illegal
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short-term rentals:
Replace full-time neighbors with an everchanging cast of visitors
Introduce unpermitted commercial uses
into residential areas, and give neighbors
no voice in the matter
Bring health, fire, and public safety risks
that affect neighbors
Creates a “nobody knows their neighbor”
environment
Are unfair to law-abiding businesses,
which comply with zoning rules, pay commercial rates for utilities and insurance,
and pay fees and taxes
Remove housing units from use by fulltime residents, which reduces the availability and affordability of housing for New
Orleanians
HOW CAN YOU TAKE ACTION?
Document any possible illegal short-term
rental activity, including:
▪ Address of possible illegal rental
▪ Date and time of possible illegal activity
▪ Ownership of property in question (visit
nolaassessor.com to research ownership)
▪ Advertising on Airbnb, VRBO, Craigslist,
etc (copy links and print out hard copies
of ads)
Report violations to
▪ City of New Orleans Zoning Administrator
▪ Your neighborhood association
▪ Your condo association
▪ Short-Term Rental Committee
Call the Land Records Office at 504.407.0091
to obtain information on the mortgage holder.
You can then contact that company or entity
to let them know that the collateral for their
loan is not being used as a residence, but as
a commercial operation.
Every whole-unit short-term rental means one less
place available to full-time New Orleanians
The Short-Term Rental
Committee advocates that:

Commercial activities, such as short-term
rentals, must comply with the zoning applicable to each individual neighborhood
or district

Businesses must be subject to the same
laws, regulations, and taxation as those
offering similar services or products.

Neighbors and neighborhoods deserve a
say about businesses that seek to operate in their neighborhoods

Changes in laws and regulations should
reflect experience here and elsewhere

The city uphold its own ordinances,
which have been carefully thought out
and vetted through years of public processes.