Executive Summary
St. Louis approved new taxes on Airbnb and VRBO operators to fund its Right to Counsel Program and the Impacted Tenants Fund. Sacramento is weighing one of the tougher pending changes, with a proposed primary-residence rule that Airbnb says could remove more than 75% of current listings and put $2.4 million in annual tax revenue at risk. Carson City is moving in the other direction on zoning, with a proposal to allow STRs in nearly all districts but pair that expansion with a $750 permit, a $500 annual license, inspections, occupancy caps, and fines up to revocation. Bowling Green and Smithfield are both moving toward first-generation local rules, while Paradise Valley is still watching state bills that could affect local control.
New Regulations
St. Louis, Missouri
Published: March 23, 2026
Regulation Category: tax
Summary: St. Louis approved new taxes on short-term rental operators, including Airbnb and VRBO, to create long-term funding for the Right to Counsel Program and the Impacted Tenants Fund. The measure ties STR tax revenue directly to tenant legal aid and housing stability programs, adding a new cost layer for operators in the city.
Source: Board of Aldermen Expands Housing and Supports Tornado Recovery
Developing Regulations
Sacramento, California
Published: March 17, 2026
Regulation Category: licensing
Summary: Sacramento leaders are considering rules that would require most hosts to live on-site for rentals of 30 days or less, a change Airbnb says could wipe out more than 75% of current city listings. Airbnb also said the proposal puts more than $2.4 million in annual host tax revenue at risk while the city faces a budget deficit.
Source: Airbnb hosts push back as Sacramento proposes new rental restrictions
Carson City, Nevada
Published: March 23, 2026
Regulation Category: zoning and licensing
Summary: Carson City is reviewing an ordinance that would allow short-term rentals in every zoning district except industrial, a major expansion from the current rule limiting them to hotel-designated zones. The proposal includes a $750 one-time administrative permit, a $500 annual business license, occupancy caps of two people per bedroom, annual inspections, a 30-minute response rule, and escalating fines up to license revocation.
Source: Planning Commission to review short-term rentals, state building, church project
Smithfield, Rhode Island
Published: March 19, 2026
Regulation Category: general
Summary: Smithfield officials are drafting a new ordinance to regulate short-term rentals, including Airbnb properties, signaling a more restrictive local approach. The proposal is still taking shape, but the town is moving toward formal rules after operating without a clear STR framework.
Source: Short stay, no way: Smithfield drafts ordinance to govern short-term Airbnb rentals
Bowling Green, Ohio
Published: March 16, 2026
Regulation Category: tax and general
Summary: Bowling Green City Council has started discussing rules for nearly 100 short-term rentals now operating without city regulations. Council members raised concerns about neighborhood turnover and said STRs should likely be regulated as businesses and made subject to the city's hotel tax.
Source: BG discusses regulations for the nearly 100 short-term rentals in the city
Paradise Valley, Arizona
Published: March 17, 2025
Regulation Category: state legislation
Summary: Paradise Valley officials used a March 12 study session to review short-term rental bills moving through the Arizona Legislature and assess how they could affect local oversight. No local rule change was adopted, but the town is actively tracking state proposals that could change how much control municipalities have over STR activity.
Source: Proposed short-term rental bills at legislature remain under the microscope for Paradise Valley