City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Duluth, MN
How Duluth 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.
- Hard citywide cap on whole-home (owner-absent) vacation dwelling units, codified at not more than 120 permits total
- Cap has bound supply for years; city runs a Letter-of-Interest waitlist with no openings expected in the foreseeable future
- Vacation dwelling units require a discretionary Interim Use Permit (not permitted by right)
- IUP terminates on ownership change or after 6 years and is non-transferable
- Rental period capped at 2-29 consecutive nights outside Form Districts; max 4 bedrooms / 9 guests
Based on: Duluth Legislative Code Ch. 50 (Unified Development Chapter), Art. III, § 50-20.3.U (Vacation dwelling unit); latest
Summary of the rule
Maximum Number of Vacation Dwelling Units. No more than 60 permits may be issued for either vacation dwelling units or accessory vacation dwelling units, excepting that the maximum number of permits that may be issued shall increase by 10 percent of the net increase in housing units constructed and issued certificates of occupancy in the city in the previous year, or no more than ten (10) new vacation dwelling units per year, whichever is less, provided that the total number of vacation dwelling units authorized shall not exceed 120 units. Permits for vacation dwelling units within Form Districts (F1-F9) are exempt from the maximum number of permits that may be issued.
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Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Duluth · system last checked Oct 25, 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.