City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Grand Marais, MN
How Grand Marais 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.
- Residential-zone exclusion: 'Lodging' (rental for periods of less than 30 continuous days) is not a permitted principal use nor a conditional use in the R-1 Residential District — whole-home STR is foreclosed in the city's primary residential district
- R-1 uses are closed-list ('no uses are permitted except the following') and lodging is absent from both permitted and CUP lists
- STR-equivalent 'Lodging' allowed only by Conditional Use Permit in commercial/resort/mixed districts (RCN, MU, C/I, RC)
Based on: Grand Marais City Code Ch. 19 Zoning Ordinance (Revised 2008, housing update; incorporating Ord. 2016-02 adopted
Summary of the rule
Within an R-1 District, unless otherwise provided by this chapter, no uses are permitted except the following: 1. One family dwelling...; 2. Two family dwelling; 3. Parks and recreational areas...; 4. Public elementary or high schools...; 5. Churches, parish homes, convents, children's nurseries and schools.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 15, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Grand Marais · system last checked Nov 9, 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.