Looking for the latest data on short-term rental license applications? Use our new Airbnb tracker.
The city of New Orleans has issued the first licenses for people to rent their homes on short-term rental services since the practice became legal on Saturday.
As of Wednesday morning, the city had approved 340 properties. It has issued licenses to about 150 of them; the others are awaiting payment of fees ranging from $50 to $500.
Overall, about 1,300 applications have been filed. That’s nearly twice as many as our count on Friday afternoon.
Last fall, an Airbnb tracking service estimated there were 4,500 Airbnb listings citywide.
The city expects most applications to come in this month, when Airbnb enables its users to apply for a license through its site.
Applications received: 1,294
Applications approved: 340
About 80 applications aren’t mapped because they did not include full location information. Application information from the City of New Orleans. Photos from the Orleans Parish Assessor’s Office.
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If the city has issued a license, you can see what type of rental has been approved and, when available, the limit on the number of guests and the number of bedrooms that can be rented.
There are three types of licenses: accessory, temporary and commercial.
Accessory and temporary licenses are for homes in residential neighborhoods.
Accessory licenses, which cost $200, allow homeowners with a homestead exemption (which means they live there) to rent rooms or half-doubles. The licenses are good for a year and allow up to three bedrooms to be rented to up to six guests at a time. Property owners are required to be home while their homes are being rented.
Temporary licenses are for whole-house rentals. They are open to property owners or long-term tenants. They cost $50 with a homestead exemption or $150 without one. This license allows the home to rented for up to 90 days per year. Each rental can have up to five bedrooms and up to 10 guests at a time.
Commercial licenses are available only in non-residential neighborhoods. Like accessory licenses, they allow for whole-home rentals, but there is no annual limit on bookings. They cost $500 per year and are available to owners or third-party operators who have the owner’s permission.
About short-term rentals in New Orleans
Last year, the city council approved what has been called a model for municipal regulation of short-term rental services. For years, rentals of fewer than 30 days were illegal in most of the city (60 days in the French Quarter). Not anymore.
The ordinance came after the market for short-term rentals exploded in the city. Last year, The Lens even identified a handful of listings in buildings that were built or renovated with government subsidies for affordable housing.
Proponents of short-term rentals, such as the Alliance for Neighborhood Prosperity, argue that vacation rentals generate extra income that helps residents afford rent, property taxes and insurance.
Opponents argue that the use of private houses for tourism has contributed to rising rents and displaced residents.
The city has rarely enforced its ban on short-term rentals. City officials have said the fees collected for licenses will be used to enforce the new rules.