City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Des Moines, IA
How Des Moines regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here operate under a registration or permit system with ongoing operating rules.
- STR-specific registration in force: owner + authorized management agent name/address/contact filed with the community development director
- Whole-home / absentee STR remains permitted — state law classifies STR as residential land use and preempts the owner-occupancy/primary-residence device
- $500,000 liability insurance requirement per STR
- Occupancy tied to International Property Maintenance Code; noise, nuisance, emergency-contact and safety rules apply
- City code still carries pre-2020 conditional-use / 245-day primary-residence / 120-day-cap language that is preempted and unenforceable for covered STRs
Based on: Des Moines Municipal Code (Zoning) §134-3.5.12(C) Short-Term Commercial Rental; enacted Ordinance No. 15,844 (Roll Call
Summary of the rule
The owner of a short-term rental shall provide the community development director with the name, physical address, email address, tax identification number, and telephone number of the owner and any individual over the age of 18 who shall be designated as the 'authorized management agent' responsible for maintenance of the property and for responding to communications during the duration of a short-term rental.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Des Moines · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
Owners in Des Moines
Following Des Moines adds it to the Followed cities list on your ASTRO dashboard, linked to its city page.
Add a home to the ASTRO registry and confirm ownership of it.
City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.