Here is the fastest way to lose an STR client forever: show them a property, let them fall in love, get it under contract — and then discover it can't be permitted. Regulations come before showings. Always.
Read the ordinance itself, not a summary. Call the planning or licensing department and ask three questions: Is a new STR permit available at this address today? Is there a cap or waitlist? Is anything pending before council? Get names and dates in your file notes — "the city told me" is worth having in writing when a client asks how you verified.
STR HUB maintains regulation summaries by market at stragenthub.com/regulations, and the Regulation Checker gives you a fast first pass before you pick up the phone. Use them as your starting point, then verify with the jurisdiction — rules change monthly.
Being the agent who says "before we tour anything, let me confirm permitability on all five addresses" is a differentiator. Investors have been burned by agents who didn't. You will win clients on this habit alone.
ACTION: Look up your own city's STR ordinance today. Find the permit type, the cap (if any), and the owner-occupancy rule. You should be able to recite these from memory.
Next lesson: the deal killer that hides inside HOA documents — and why the listing agent's answer is never good enough.
Is it even legal there? Check before anything else.
Open the Regulation Checker →