City Watch
Short-term rental rules in New Orleans, LA
How New Orleans regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- Primary-residence required
- Density or quota cap
- Per-person or per-parcel limit
- Operator on site
- Active enforcement
Based on: New Orleans Code of Ordinances Ch. 26 Art. XI (Ord. 29381, eff. 2023-07-01)
Summary of the rule
A maximum of 1 Non-Commercial Short-Term Rental (NSTR) or Bed & Breakfast may be permitted per city SQUARE (block); when more than one qualified applicant applies for the same square, allocation is by lottery; up to 2 additional NSTRs per square may be granted by special exception (City Planning Commission / City Council)
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Active litigation / open question
Hignell-Stark v. City of New Orleans, No. 24-30160 (5th Cir. Oct 7 2025), pp.18-20 — 5th Cir. accepts the narrowed requirement that an operator be PRESENT while guests occupy (not permanent residency); reverses the business-entity permit bans + the single-dwelling-per-advertisement rule. 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 Sep 10, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring New Orleans · system last checked Oct 9, 2026
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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.