ÐÔÊÓ½çAPP

MISSOULA, Mont. – New regulations are being introduced for short-term rental properties in Missoula. These changes will impact platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and HomeToGo.

Starting this month, short-term rental operators within city limits must register with Community Planning, Development, and Innovation. The new rules require hosting platforms to verify compliance with local laws to ensure all rentals meet community standards.

Maggie McCarthy, City Permit and Business Licensing Manager, explained the importance of these regulations. "As the person renting to short term guests to walk through your home and make sure that you have, you know, clear egress and you have smoke alarms in every room that's used for sleeping. And so we're helping to support, you know, a safe rental space for short term guests," she said.

Jennipha Nielsen, a Montana State Airbnb Community Leader, shared her perspective as a host. "I think it gives the community more security to know is, okay, that someone's got their eye on this. Someone knows this exists. So I can relax, because I think a lot of it is fear I can relax, that we know that they are legit if I see them on the platform. I know they're registered with the city," Nielsen stated.

For more information, contact the Permit and Business Licensing Coordinators or the Current Planning and Land Use Zoning Desk.