What It Costs to Start a Legal Minneapolis STR Stay 2026

Thomas Garner
16 hours ago
12 min read

Empty civic hallway interior in Minneapolis, no people

Call Minneapolis Inspections Services at 612-673-3000. Public Service Building, 505 Fourth Ave. S., Room 510. Or 311. Email fispermit@minneapolismn.gov. Stays of 30 days or less need a short-term rental license. An owner may hold only one short-term rental besides their home, including through LLCs. Occupants are capped at 10. In a building with 20 or more units, only 10 percent may be short-term rentals; condos are exempt. A spare room while you remain in the home does not need this license. Stays over 30 days need a regular rental license. Put the license ID on the listing. Short-term registrations cost $64 on the city's STR page. Confirm 2026. Regular rental licenses use the tiered building and per-unit table and expire March 1. Confirm which path the parcel actually has. Do not invent a blended fee. AirROI's high-regulation label and 87 percent registration evidence are a scrape of listings, not the town file. Starting a Minneapolis listing is a town-desk question first. Typical Minneapolis listings earned about $23,433 last year from 1,613 active rentals, AirROI trailing twelve months from August 2025 through July 2026. The average night was $196. Occupancy was 43.6 percent. Revenue per available night was $86. Year over year is minus 9.7 percent. Active supply moved plus 18.3 percent. The three strongest city months are August, June, and October. August is the busiest. February is the slowest. Occupancy is weakest in July. Most guests arrive from Minneapolis, then Chicago. Stay is 6.5 nights, booked about 40 days ahead. Call Minneapolis Inspections Services at 612-673-3000. Public Service Building, 505 Fourth Ave. S., Room 510. Or 311. Email fispermit@minneapolismn.gov. Stays of 30 days or less need a short-term rental license. An owner may hold only one short-term rental besides their home, including through LLCs. Occupants are capped at 10..

Call the Desk Before You Buy Furniture

Call Minneapolis Inspections Services at 612-673-3000. Public Service Building, 505 Fourth Ave. S., Room 510. Or 311. Email fispermit@minneapolismn.gov. Stays of 30 days or less need a short-term rental license. An owner may hold only one short-term rental besides their home, including through LLCs. Occupants are capped at 10. In a building with 20 or more units, only 10 percent may be short-term rentals; condos are exempt. A spare room while you remain in the home does not need this license. Stays over 30 days need a regular rental license. Put the license ID on the listing. Short-term registrations cost $64 on the city's STR page. Confirm 2026. Regular rental licenses use the tiered building and per-unit table and expire March 1. Confirm which path the parcel actually has. Do not invent a blended fee. AirROI's high-regulation label and 87 percent registration evidence are a scrape of listings, not the town file. Call the desk before you buy furniture. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Minneapolis Getaways is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole.

Cite the $64 Short-Term Registration

Cite the $64 short-term registration. Confirm 2026. Do not invent a blended fee. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. Market a Minneapolis Stay is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay.

One License Besides the Home Still Applies

One short-term license besides the home. Occupants capped at 10. Confirm the 20-plus unit cap if the building is that size. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Minneapolis STR Rules is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole.

Regular Rental Licenses Expire March 1

Regular rental licenses expire March 1 and use the tiered building and per-unit table. Confirm which path the parcel has. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. Minneapolis Shoulder is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole.

A Listing Scrape Is Not the Startup Budget

A listing scrape is not the startup budget. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Minneapolis Remote Stays is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10.

Saint Paul and Richfield Have Other Halls

Saint Paul and Richfield have other halls. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. DIY vs Hire in Minneapolis is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10.

Do Not Invent a Missing Fee

Do not invent a missing fee. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Richfield is not downtown. Who Books Minneapolis is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10.

What a Startup Packet Should Carry

What a startup packet should carry is the parcel and the remaining city-code questions. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. We market. We do not take the lock. Buying a Minneapolis Rental is already live on Crest and Cove. Use it. Do not paste a satellite year into a city tile. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10. Saint Paul is not the North Loop. Richfield is not downtown. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay.

Hosts who underwrite Twin Cities stays should keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings, call 612-673-3000, and leave Saint Paul and Richfield on their own lines. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $23,433 on 1,613 city listings on its own line. August is the city peak. February is the city hole. Call 612-673-3000 before you advertise a Minneapolis stay. One short-term license besides the home. Occupants are capped at 10.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did typical Minneapolis listings earn last year?

Typical Minneapolis listings earned about $23,433 last year from 1,613 active rentals, per AirROI's trailing twelve months from August 2025 through July 2026. The average night was $196, occupancy sat at 43.6 percent, and revenue per available night came in at $86. Year over year is down 9.7 percent even as active supply grew 18.3 percent -- more listings chasing a softer market. Keep Saint Paul and Richfield figures on their own lines rather than folding them into the Minneapolis number.

When is Minneapolis's strongest month?

August is the busiest revenue month, with June and October close behind. February is the slowest month on the calendar, and occupancy itself is actually weakest in July even though it's peak season elsewhere -- worth building into a marketing calendar rather than assuming a flat year.

Do I need a short-term rental license to operate in Minneapolis in 2026?

Yes. Stays of 30 days or less require a Minneapolis short-term rental license, while stays over 30 days need a regular rental license instead -- confirm which path your parcel actually falls under before listing. Reach Minneapolis Inspections Services at 612-673-3000 or 311, at the Public Service Building, 505 Fourth Ave. S., Room 510, or by email at fispermit@minneapolismn.gov.

How many short-term rentals can one Minneapolis owner hold?

An owner may hold only one short-term rental license besides their own home, and that limit applies even when the second property is held through an LLC. Occupants are capped at 10 per listing. In buildings with 20 or more units, only 10 percent of units may operate as short-term rentals, though condos are exempt from that particular cap.

Is a 30-night minimum the same as occupancy?

No -- a 30-night minimum-stay policy and occupancy are two different things. About 681 Minneapolis listings, or 42.2 percent of the 1,613 active rentals, run a 30-night minimum, yet the citywide average stay is still 6.5 nights with a roughly 40-day booking lead. February stays slow regardless of minimum-stay policy, so don't read a minimum-stay rule as a demand signal.

Should I hire a property manager in Minneapolis?

It depends on the listing, but market context helps: about 15 percent of Minneapolis listings are professionally managed, with Minnestay the largest single manager at 69 listings. Saint Paul and Richfield are separate markets with their own economics, so a manager pitch built for Minneapolis shouldn't be recycled for either satellite without adjusting the numbers.

Who is booking Minneapolis stays right now?

Most Minneapolis guests travel from within Minneapolis itself, followed by Chicago. The average stay runs 6.5 nights, booked roughly 40 days ahead of arrival. Urban-core guests tend to want the North Loop and the lakes, while Saint Paul and Richfield each draw their own separate booking pattern worth reflecting in listing copy.

Does Saint Paul share Minneapolis's numbers?

No. Saint Paul is a distinct market -- it earned roughly $23,160 per listing across 640 active rentals, a different figure from Minneapolis's $23,433 across 1,613 listings, even though the two totals land close together. Keep each city's revenue, occupancy, and season figures on their own line rather than filing one city's year as another's.

What should go into a Minneapolis buyer or startup packet?

A Minneapolis startup or buyer packet should cite the actual city figures -- $23,433 average revenue across 1,613 active listings, supply up 18.3 percent year over year even as revenue per listing softened 9.7 percent, and the August-heavy peak season -- alongside a direct call to Minneapolis Inspections Services at 612-673-3000 to confirm licensing status.

Where do I confirm the current Minneapolis STR fee and licensing status?

Contact Minneapolis Inspections Services directly at 612-673-3000, or 311, at the Public Service Building, 505 Fourth Ave. S., Room 510, or by email at fispermit@minneapolismn.gov. The city's short-term rental page lists a $64 registration cost, but regular rental licenses use a separate tiered building-and-per-unit fee table and expire March 1 -- confirm which path applies to your specific parcel rather than assuming a blended fee.

Work with Crest & Cove Creative

Minneapolis hosts often market off a scraped citywide average instead of the guest who's actually booking. Copy that ignores the August peak and Saint Paul's separate demand pattern blends into every other Twin Cities rental instead of standing out.

Crest & Cove Creative builds STR marketing around what a market's real data shows, not a copy-paste factory closer. Let's turn Minneapolis's actual booking pattern into a listing that converts North Loop and lakes-area searchers.

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