What It Costs to Start a Legal Little Rock AR STR Stay 2026

Thomas Garner
2 days ago
6 min read

Empty Little Rock civic plaza, no people

Call Little Rock Treasury at 501-371-4568. Planning and Development sits at 723 West Markham Street; Planning Manager 501-371-4789. Short-term rentals are properties rented for 29 days or less. The Board of Directors adopted the ordinance June 20, 2023 after ten deferrals. The city caps STR permits at 500. Owner-occupied STR-1 uses a special-use permit. Non-owner-occupied STR-2 uses planned-development zoning. The Treasury form for owners of three or fewer units lists a $35 annual fee. Confirm remaining inspection fees at Planning. A March 2026 Planning staff report listed 141 STR-1 and STR-2 in the city database. That count is not AirROI's 453 listings. Confirm remaining cap slots before you advertise. Arkansas state sales tax is 6.5 percent. State tourism tax is 2 percent. Little Rock A&P lodging tax is 4 percent; call 501-370-3204. Confirm remaining Pulaski and city sales tax at DFA. Confirm 2026. AirROI's low-regulation label and 0 licensed listings are a scrape, not the permit file. Starting a Little Rock listing is a permit-slot question first. AirROI's current Little Rock extract, August 2025 through July 2026, pins typical listings at about $15,505 a year on 453 active rentals. The average night was $149. Occupancy was 40.1 percent. Revenue per available night was $59. Year over year is minus 6.2 percent. Supply held steady.

Call the Desk Before You Buy Furniture

Call Little Rock Treasury at 501-371-4568. Planning and Development sits at 723 West Markham Street; Planning Manager 501-371-4789. Short-term rentals are properties rented for 29 days or less. The Board of Directors adopted the ordinance June 20, 2023 after ten deferrals. The city caps STR permits at 500. Owner-occupied STR-1 uses a special-use permit. Non-owner-occupied STR-2 uses planned-development zoning. The Treasury form for owners of three or fewer units lists a $35 annual fee. Confirm remaining inspection fees at Planning. A March 2026 Planning staff report listed 141 STR-1 and STR-2 in the city database. That count is not AirROI's 453 listings. Confirm remaining cap slots before you advertise. Arkansas state sales tax is 6.5 percent. State tourism tax is 2 percent. Little Rock A&P lodging tax is 4 percent; call 501-370-3204. Confirm remaining Pulaski and city sales tax at DFA. Confirm 2026. AirROI's low-regulation label and 0 licensed listings are a scrape, not the permit file. Call the desk before you buy furniture. Little Rock Getaways is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it for the related stay, not as a blended year.

Confirm Remaining Cap Slots First

Confirm remaining cap slots first. A March 2026 staff report listed 141 STR-1 and STR-2. AirROI 453 is not that roster. Market a Little Rock Stay is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it for the related stay, not as a blended year.

Treasury $35 Is Not the Whole Bill

Treasury $35 covers owners of three or fewer units on the rental-registration form. Confirm remaining STR-1/STR-2 inspection fees at Planning. Little Rock STR Rules is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it for the related stay, not as a blended year.

STR-1 and STR-2 Are Different Lifts

STR-1 special use and STR-2 planned development are different applications. Do not treat them as one fee. Little Rock Shoulder is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it for the related stay, not as a blended year.

State Sales 6.5, Tourism 2, A&P 4

Arkansas state sales tax is 6.5 percent. State tourism tax is 2 percent. Little Rock A&P lodging tax is 4 percent. Confirm remaining county and city sales tax at DFA. Confirm 2026. Little Rock Remote Stays is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it for the related stay, not as a blended year.

A Listing Scrape Is Not the Startup Budget

A listing scrape is not the startup budget. Zero licensed listings on AirROI is not the hall. DIY vs Hire in Little Rock is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it for the related stay, not as a blended year.

North Little Rock Has Another Hall

North Little Rock has another hall. Who Books Little Rock is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it for the related stay, not as a blended year.

What a Startup Packet Should Carry

What a startup packet should carry is the parcel, the cap question, and remaining city-code questions. Buying a Little Rock Rental is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it for the related stay, not as a blended year.

Hosts who underwrite Arkansas capital stays should keep $15,505 on 453 city listings, confirm remaining 500-cap slots at Planning, and leave North Little Rock and Conway on their own lines. We market. We do not take the lock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it cost to start a Little Rock STR?

Call Little Rock Treasury at 501-371-4568 first. The Treasury form for owners of three or fewer units lists a $35 annual fee, but confirm remaining STR-1 and STR-2 inspection fees and available cap slots at Planning (723 West Markham Street, 501-371-4789) before budgeting further.

When is Little Rock's strongest month?

October is the busiest revenue month, with March and December as the other strong months. July is the slowest, and occupancy is weakest that month too. Price shoulder months against this specific calendar rather than a generic Arkansas season.

Do I need a Little Rock STR permit in 2026?

Yes. The Board of Directors adopted the STR ordinance on June 20, 2023. Owner-occupied STR-1 requires a special-use permit; non-owner-occupied STR-2 requires planned-development zoning. The city caps total STR permits at 500 citywide, so confirm remaining slots before you commit to a property.

Is a 30-night minimum the same as occupancy?

No. 122 listings, or 26.9 percent of the 453 active rentals, set a 30-night minimum — a platform setting, not occupancy. Typical stay is still 7.4 nights with about 28 days of lead time, and July remains the slow month regardless of minimum-stay settings.

Should I hire a manager in Little Rock and on the satellites?

Professionally managed share in Little Rock is 7.3 percent, with Christopher holding about 9 listings. North Little Rock and Conway each reward their own separate city copy — a satellite host paying city-scale management fees under the wrong caption is buying the wrong product.

Who books a Little Rock stay?

Most guests arrive from Little Rock itself, then Austin. Typical stay is 7.4 nights with about 28 days of lead time. Downtown, SoMa, and Hillcrest are distinct occasions — serve the guest who typed this specific stay rather than a blended satellite caption.

Can I file North Little Rock as the Little Rock year?

No. Little Rock's average night was $149 across 453 listings, while North Little Rock earned about $13,266 across 105 listings — a different market. Keep $15,505 on its own line for Little Rock rather than blending in North Little Rock's figures.

Does the 500-permit cap still apply?

Yes. Confirm remaining slots at Planning. A March 2026 staff report listed 141 STR-1 and STR-2 permits actually issued in the city database, a much smaller number than AirROI's 453 active listings, so confirm cap availability before you buy.

What should a buyer packet carry?

Cite $15,505 on 453 city listings, note year over year at minus 6.2 percent against a steady supply, and confirm remaining cap slots with Planning before finalizing underwriting. Keep North Little Rock on its own separate line.

Where do I confirm the current Little Rock STR desk?

Call Little Rock Treasury at 501-371-4568 for the $35 registration form, or Planning and Development at 723 West Markham Street (Planning Manager 501-371-4789) for STR-1/STR-2 zoning applications, inspection fees, and remaining cap slots.

Work with Crest & Cove Creative

Little Rock listings often get marketed with a generic Arkansas capital caption that ignores the city's 500-permit cap and the STR-1 versus STR-2 zoning split, which is what actually blocks a launch, not a missing fee.

Crest & Cove writes Little Rock-specific copy for downtown, SoMa, and Hillcrest, keeping North Little Rock and Conway off your listing entirely. Send us the address to get started.

Reach out at crestcove.co or (256) 998-7502.