Short answer: The City of St. Charles allows short-term rentals (stays under 30 nights) only in its Extended Historic Preservation district, and the city says it has reached its cap and is not taking new applications for residentially zoned homes. Commercially zoned properties in that district can still apply. For most St. Charles owners, YourSTRManagement recommends furnished stays of 30 nights or more, which the code does not treat as short-term rentals.
Can you start a new Airbnb in St. Charles?
For most homes, not right now. The city's short-term rental page says St. Charles is at its maximum for residential short-term rentals and is not accepting new applications for residentially zoned properties.
That cap comes from Section 400.421 of the zoning code, last amended by Ordinance 25-030 on April 15, 2025. The amendment lifted the earlier moratorium but set two limits:
- Location. Short-term rentals can only be in the "EHP" Extended Historic Preservation district.
- A citywide cap. Rentals in residentially zoned areas can't exceed 0.15% of the city's housing units. The city puts that at 48 units.
Commercially zoned properties inside the EHP district are outside that change and can still apply. They also don't need a Conditional Use Permit. A residential property would need one, with public hearings and a City Council vote, before the permit application even starts.
Check your parcel's zoning on the city's interactive map or call Community Development at 636-949-3222. The city also publishes a short-term rental map that shows approved and pending rentals and the 500-foot buffer.
Rules for permitted rentals
If your property qualifies, the code and the city page require:
- An annual short-term rental permit, renewed before the last business day of December, plus a city business license before you advertise.
- A yearly safety inspection. City staff schedule it, and it checks for a working noise monitor, which every rental must have.
- One off-street parking space per bedroom used as a rental.
- Guests stay only in the main house, not in a garage or outbuilding.
- No outdoor amplified sound from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m.
- No more than one rental between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. in a 24-hour period.
- A local contact on file with the city who can respond to complaints within 45 minutes, 24 hours a day.
- Photo ID and contact details for every guest, kept for three years.
- In residential zones, 500 feet between short-term rentals.
The permit fee is set in the city's fee schedule. New permits filed after July 1 are prorated by half.
Why mid-term is the better fit here
The zoning code definition covers rentals "for a period of less than thirty (30) consecutive calendar days." A furnished stay of 30 nights or more falls outside it. That opens the rest of the city, not just the historic district.
Lindenwood University's campus is on South Kingshighway, and the Family Arena on Arena Parkway hosts concerts and St. Louis Ambush soccer. Ameristar Casino sits off I-70. People who come to town for work, a move or a semester often want a furnished home for a month or more. We list those homes, screen tenants, set the rent and handle cleaning and repairs. Our services page lists everything included.
Lodging taxes
St. Charles County charges a 5% sleeping room tax on lodging for transient guests, paid to the Convention and Sports Facilities Authority. The authority's guide for short-term stay lodging says hosts on Airbnb or VRBO must still file the report and show what the platform paid. Reports are due quarterly, even with zero sales. The county lodging page says the tax covers the first 31 days of a stay.
The city also charges hotels and motels a 1% tourism license tax plus 0.75%, filed monthly by the 20th. Ask the city's Collections Office (636-949-3212) whether it applies to your rental.
How we help St. Charles owners
We start by checking zoning and the city map so you know which path is open. If your home is permitted, we handle guests, the noise monitor, ID checks and the local contact rule. If it isn't, we set it up for monthly stays. Our standard fee is 15% of booking revenue.
We've hosted 8,000+ stays over 5 years with a 4.8 star average rating, and we carry $1M in liability coverage and $100K in damage coverage. Our St. Louis owner's guide covers the rest of the metro, or contact us and we'll reply within one day.