City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Sandpoint, ID
How Sandpoint 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.
- City of Sandpoint levies its own Resort City local-option tax (14%) reaching short-term lodging of 30 days or fewer
- Idaho Code 67-6539 (eff. 2026-07-01) preempts any local STR license, permit, registration, fee, or owner-occupation requirement
- No in-force local STR operating permit — state-preempted, city no longer administers a general STR permit program
- Occupancy-tax collection permit is a revenue mechanism, not a supply device
Based on: Sandpoint Resort City Tax / Short-Term Rental Occupancy Tax (local-option non-property tax under Idaho Code § 50-1044
Summary of the rule
Sandpoint's Resort City Tax is a local-option non-property tax assessed for short-term lodging of 30 or fewer days, currently 14% (7% before 2023-01-01). Property owners must obtain a Short-Term Rental Occupancy Tax Permit from the City for each lodging location; this tax permit is separate from any land-use/STR operating permit and remains required even though the City no longer administers a general STR permit program.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 20, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Sandpoint · system last checked Nov 10, 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.