City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Lava Hot Springs, ID
How Lava Hot Springs regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here are subject to registration, a lodging tax, or a small number of operating rules.
- No STR permit, license, registration, cap or residency rule in force (Title 3 Ch. 5 is safety standards only)
- STR-specific life-safety standards: smoke/CO alarms, extinguishers, escape ladders, occupancy limit
- City levies a 5% hotel-motel occupancy tax that reaches tourist homes and condos
- Idaho Code 67-6539 (HB583) bars local STR bans and permit regimes
Based on: City Code Title 3 Ch. 5 Short-Term Rentals (3-5-1 to 3-5-4), Ord. 2026-005 adopted 2026-05-14, effective on
Summary of the rule
A. Hotel-Motel/Space Occupancy: A tax is hereby imposed at the rate of five percent (5%) on the occupancy charge for each hotel-motel room or camping space rented or leased within the City of Lava Hot Springs
Active litigation / open question
Idaho Supreme Court — May 21, 2025 (Idaho Assn. of Realtors v. City of Lava Hot Springs, No. 50888): struck the city ordinance that prohibited non-owner-occupied short-term rentals in residential zones, holding it violated the Short-term Rental and Vacation Rental Act. Source ↗
Reported as fact only, reflecting the code as currently in effect — not legal advice, and not a prediction of the outcome. Verify current status before relying on it.
Last reviewed Oct 18, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Lava Hot Springs · system last checked Oct 26, 2026
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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.