Short answer: Not in most of the city. Since 2023, Kansas City, Missouri has banned new non-resident short-term rentals in every residential zoning district. If you don't live in the home, you can still register one in agricultural-residential, business, downtown and light industrial zones (AG-R, B, D and M1), plus some mixed-use plans. Many suburbs, including Overland Park, Olathe and Lenexa, allow it with a rental license.
This page covers Kansas City, Missouri only. Kansas City, Kansas and the suburbs each have their own rules, which we cover further down. Nothing here is legal advice. Check the current code for your address before you sign anything.
What the rule actually says
The zoning rule is Section 88-321-01 of the city code. It says a non-resident short-term rental is "expressly prohibited in all R zoning districts." R districts are the residential zones, which covers most single-family neighborhoods in the city.
A short-term rental is any stay of less than 30 consecutive days. You count as a resident if the home is your primary residence, which the code defines as living there at least 270 days a year. Resident hosts can still register in residential zones.
Where non-resident rentals are still allowed
Non-resident rentals are allowed in AG-R, B, D and M1 zones. In practice, that means a lot of downtown, the Crossroads and other commercial areas, where condos and lofts sit in business or downtown zoning. Some MPD and UR districts also allow them if the approved plan isn't purely residential.
Even in those zones, Chapter 56 of the code adds limits:
- A building with one or two units can't be within 1,000 feet of another registered non-resident rental.
- In a building with three or more units, registrations stop once 12.5% of the units are registered.
- One short-term rental per parcel when the parcel has one main home.
- No non-resident rental on a property getting city incentives such as tax abatement or TIF.
- No more than two guests per bedroom plus one, with a cap of eight.
Homes with a Type 2 permit issued before the May 2023 change are grandfathered. That status does not transfer. If the property sells or the registrant changes, the registration is void, so a buyer can't count on keeping it.
How to check your property
- Look up the zoning on the city's Parcel Viewer, which the city's short-term rental page links to. If it starts with R, a non-resident rental is out.
- If the zoning works, check the 1,000-foot rule for one- and two-unit buildings, or the 12.5% rule for larger buildings.
- Get a tax clearance letter and set up a QuickTax account.
- Register through CompassKC. Registration costs $200 a year, each unit needs its own application, and non-resident owners also need a business license.
- Put the registration number on every listing. Booking platforms are not allowed to take payment for unregistered units.
Non-resident owners also have to sign a notarized affidavit naming a person who will inspect the home inside and out at least once a month. If you hire a manager, that is usually us. Our Kansas City management page explains what we cover.
Taxes and penalties
The city charges a 7.5% transient tax on gross receipts plus an occupancy fee of $3.00 per room night, both in effect since August 2023. You file form RD-306 every quarter, and the city's tax FAQ says you still have to file even when Airbnb collected the tax.
Operating without registration costs $200 to $1,000 a day, and each day counts as a separate violation. Serious or repeated violations can get a property barred from registering for one to three years.
If your home is in a residential zone
You still have two good options.
Rent it furnished for 30 days or more. The short-term rental chapter only covers stays under 30 consecutive days. Traveling nurses, relocating employees and insurance placements book monthly stays all year. Regular rental rules still apply. Our mid-term rental page explains how it works.
Look across the state line. Rules change a lot from one suburb to the next:
| City | Short-term rentals | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Overland Park, KS | Allowed | City rental license |
| Olathe, KS | Allowed | No STR license found |
| Lenexa, KS | Allowed | Rental license, from $75 a year |
| Shawnee, KS | Allowed | Annual STR license |
| Mission, KS | Allowed, 2-night minimum | $500 a year license |
| Leawood, KS | Not under 30 nights | Rental license (mid-term only) |
| Lee's Summit, MO | Very limited | Owner or rep must live on or next to the property |
We manage homes across the metro. See our Overland Park page for an example of a suburb where nightly rentals work.