Des Moines, IA Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Regulations 2026
What it takes to run a legal short-term rental in Des Moines, Iowa — the local permit position, state law, taxes and the diligence that decides whether a purchase works.
Iowa's capital and largest metro, with steady convention, state-fair, and corporate travel demand; despite Iowa's general state preemption of STR-specific city fees, Des Moines runs its own registration ordinance with a real annual fee and neighbor-notification rule. Short-term rentals here are governed by City of Des Moines. Local position: Short-Term Rental Permit.
Regulation Overview
Iowa's capital and largest metro, with steady convention, state-fair, and corporate travel demand; despite Iowa's general state preemption of STR-specific city fees, Des Moines runs its own registration ordinance with a real annual fee and neighbor-notification rule.
Des Moines charges a real annual permit fee and requires neighbor notification and platform-level listing compliance — meaningful operating conditions even without a confirmed cap or owner-occupancy rule.
Iowa State Law
State preemption: Yes — Iowa Code 414.1 bars cities and counties from banning short-term rentals, requiring an STR-specific permit or license, or charging an STR-specific fee; enforcement must apply the same way it would to comparable non-STR properties. Local governments retain authority over health/safety, noise, nuisance, traffic, and illegal-activity rules. Created by HF 2641 (2020), amended in 2024 to add the health/safety carve-outs.
Statewide rules: No statewide STR license. State imposes a 5% state hotel/motel tax.
Taxes: 5% state hotel/motel tax + local hotel/motel tax (varies by locality, generally up to 7%) + state sales tax.
2025–2026 legislation: No 2025/2026 statutory change identified beyond the 2024 amendment to 414.1 adding health/safety carve-outs — VERIFY for any bills in the current legislative session.
Des Moines Rules
Governing jurisdiction: City of Des Moines.
- Des Moines requires an annual short-term rental permit, currently priced at $250/year as of 2025, registered online or in person at the City Clerk's office and valid for the calendar year issued.
- Applicants must submit property details, floor plans, proof of ownership, 24/7 local contact information, proof of required insurance, and a completed Property Maintenance Checklist.
- Upon permit issuance, the owner must deliver a notification letter to every neighboring property owner within 200 feet of the rental's property lines, and must do so at least annually thereafter.
- Listing platforms are barred from publishing a Des Moines listing that doesn't include a valid, current city-issued short-term rental permit number.
- Iowa Code 414.1 generally bars Iowa cities from charging STR-specific permit fees, but Des Moines' ordinance (No. 15,844) has continued to operate a fee-based permit system — worth independent legal confirmation given the state preemption law.
- Des Moines' STR ordinance sits in Municipal Code Chapter 5.72.
Not confirmed
We could not verify the following against a primary source. Confirm each with the jurisdiction before you rely on it:
- How Des Moines' fee-based permit squares with Iowa Code 414.1's bar on STR-specific fees (not resolved in this research — flagged as a legal question worth professional verification)
- Occupancy limits and minimum stay length
- Local hotel/motel tax rate
- Whether the permit transfers on sale
Buyer Due Diligence Checklist
Before you write an offer on a short-term rental here:
- Get a written determination from the governing jurisdiction for the specific parcel. Verbal guidance from anyone else is not diligence.
- Establish which jurisdiction governs — city, town, village and unincorporated county can differ sharply within a few miles.
- Ask whether an existing permit transfers on sale. In many markets it does not, and a listing marketed as a running short-term rental may convey nothing of the sort.
- Read the HOA or condo covenants during your inspection period. Private covenants bind even where the jurisdiction permits the use.
- Model revenue against the legal occupancy cap, not the bedroom count.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a short-term rental in Des Moines?
Short-term rental permit registered online or at the City Clerk's office; granted for the calendar year of issuance under Ordinance No. 15,844 / Municipal Code Ch. 5.72.
Who regulates short-term rentals in Des Moines?
City of Des Moines. Which jurisdiction a parcel falls in is the first question to settle.
Does Iowa preempt local short-term rental rules?
Yes — Iowa Code 414.1 bars cities and counties from banning short-term rentals, requiring an STR-specific permit or license, or charging an STR-specific fee; enforcement must apply the same way it would to comparable non-STR properties. Local governments retain authority over health/safety, noise, nuisance, traffic, and illegal-activity rules. Created by HF 2641 (2020), amended in 2024 to add the health/safety carve-outs.
Does an existing permit transfer when I buy the property?
Not confirmed for this market. Do not assume so — confirm in writing with the jurisdiction before you write an offer.
Can my HOA or condo association stop me?
Yes. Private covenants are enforceable independently of what the jurisdiction permits. Read them during your inspection period.
Primary sources
Short-term rental rules change frequently. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction before you buy or list.
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