What It Costs to Start a Legal New Orleans STR Stay 2026

Thomas Garner
15 hours ago
12 min read

Empty civic hallway interior in New Orleans, no people

Call Short-Term Rental Administration at 504-658-7144. 1340 Poydras Street Suite 800. Email str@nola.gov. NSTR is a lottery, one permit per square block in residential areas, and the operator must live on the lot. Garden District is banned. Most of the French Quarter is banned except a limited Vieux Carre Entertainment / Bourbon stretch — confirm zoning on the parcel. New commercial STRs need City Council conditional-use review under the Transient Lodging Interim Zoning District adopted May 7, 2026. Cite the $50 non-refundable application and the operator-permit page: NSTR operator $150, CSTR operator $1,000. Confirm the current owner-permit amount at the desk. Do not invent $500 or $375 as current. Occupancy fees: NSTR $5 per night rented, CSTR $12 per night rented. Confirm 2026. AirROI's high-regulation label and 92 percent registration evidence are a scrape of listings, not the town file. Starting a New Orleans listing is a town-desk question first. Typical New Orleans listings earned about $39,476 last year from 5,013 active rentals, AirROI trailing twelve months from August 2025 through July 2026. The average night was $328. Occupancy was 39.6 percent. Revenue per available night was $135. Year over year is plus 2.4 percent. Active supply moved plus 8.4 percent. The three strongest city months are April, March, and February. April is the busiest. July is the slowest. Occupancy is weakest in July. Most guests arrive from New York, then Houston. Stay is 5 nights, booked about 62 days ahead. Call Short-Term Rental Administration at 504-658-7144. 1340 Poydras Street Suite 800. Email str@nola.gov. NSTR is a lottery, one permit per square block in residential areas, and the operator must live on the lot. Garden District is banned. Most of the French Quarter is banned except a limited Vieux Carre Entertainment / Bourbon stretch — confirm zoning on the parcel..

Call the Desk Before You Buy Furniture

Call Short-Term Rental Administration at 504-658-7144. 1340 Poydras Street Suite 800. Email str@nola.gov. NSTR is a lottery, one permit per square block in residential areas, and the operator must live on the lot. Garden District is banned. Most of the French Quarter is banned except a limited Vieux Carre Entertainment / Bourbon stretch — confirm zoning on the parcel. New commercial STRs need City Council conditional-use review under the Transient Lodging Interim Zoning District adopted May 7, 2026. Cite the $50 non-refundable application and the operator-permit page: NSTR operator $150, CSTR operator $1,000. Confirm the current owner-permit amount at the desk. Do not invent $500 or $375 as current. Occupancy fees: NSTR $5 per night rented, CSTR $12 per night rented. Confirm 2026. AirROI's high-regulation label and 92 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. New Orleans 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 $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay.

Cite the $50 Application and Operator Fees

Cite the $50 non-refundable application. NSTR operator is $150. CSTR operator is $1,000. Confirm the current owner-permit amount. Do not invent $500 or $375 as current. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. Market a New Orleans 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 $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole.

NSTR Lottery and Live-On-Lot Still Apply

NSTR is a lottery. The operator must live on the lot. Garden District is banned. Most of the Quarter is banned except a limited Bourbon exception. Confirm zoning. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. New Orleans 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 $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole.

Occupancy Fees Are $5 or $12 a Night

Occupancy fees are $5 a night for NSTR and $12 a night for CSTR. Confirm remaining parish and state tax at Revenue. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. New Orleans 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 $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay.

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. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. New Orleans 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 $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny.

Metairie and Arabi Have Other Halls

Metairie and Arabi have other halls. Jefferson Parish lodging questions: 504-364-3560. East Bank desk at the Joseph S. Yenni Building, 1221 Elmwood Park Boulevard. Annual short-term rental lodging processing is $750 on the parish page, with a primary-residence / homestead path. Confirm 2026. Do not file that $750 as a New Orleans fee. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Metairie is not the Marigny. DIY vs Hire in New Orleans 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 $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed.

Do Not Invent a Missing Fee

Do not invent a missing fee. Write this heading as the stay a host can actually file. Arabi is not the Quarter. Who Books New Orleans 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 $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter.

What a Startup Packet Should Carry

What a startup packet should carry is the parcel, the zoning, 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 New Orleans 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 $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned. Metairie is not the Marigny. Arabi is not the Quarter. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay.

Hosts who underwrite Crescent City stays should keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings, call 504-658-7144, and leave Metairie and Arabi on their own lines. We market. We do not take the lock. Write the city or the satellite the guest typed. Keep $39,476 on 5,013 city listings on its own line. April is the city peak. July is the city hole. Call 504-658-7144 before you advertise a New Orleans stay. NSTR is a lottery. Garden District is banned.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did typical New Orleans listings earn last year?

Typical New Orleans listings earned about $39,476 last year from 5,013 active rentals, per AirROI's trailing twelve months from August 2025 through July 2026. The average night was $328, occupancy sat at 39.6 percent, and revenue per available night landed at $135. Year over year is up 2.4 percent, with active supply growing 8.4 percent. Keep Metairie and Arabi figures on their own lines rather than folding them into the New Orleans number.

When is New Orleans's strongest month?

April is the busiest revenue month, with March and February close behind. July is the slowest month on the calendar, and occupancy itself is also weakest in July -- a double dip worth planning around rather than assuming steady demand year-round.

Do I need a permit to run a short-term rental in New Orleans in 2026?

Yes. New Orleans requires an NSTR permit, awarded through a lottery with one permit allowed per square block in residential areas, and the operator must live on the lot. The Garden District is banned outright, and most of the French Quarter is banned except a limited Vieux Carre Entertainment/Bourbon stretch -- confirm zoning on your specific parcel. Reach the Short-Term Rental Administration at 504-658-7144, 1340 Poydras Street Suite 800, or str@nola.gov.

What does a commercial short-term rental (CSTR) require in New Orleans?

New commercial STRs need City Council conditional-use review under the Transient Lodging Interim Zoning District, adopted May 7, 2026. Cited fees include a $50 non-refundable application, a $1,000 CSTR operator permit (versus $150 for NSTR), and an occupancy fee of $12 per night rented (versus $5 for NSTR). Confirm the current owner-permit amount at the desk -- don't assume older figures like $500 or $375 are still current.

Is a 30-night minimum the same as occupancy?

No -- a 30-night minimum-stay policy and occupancy are two different things. About 2,457 New Orleans listings, or 49 percent of the 5,013 active rentals, run a 30-night minimum, yet the citywide average stay is still 5 nights with a roughly 62-day booking lead. July remains the slow month regardless of minimum-stay policy.

Should I hire a property manager in New Orleans?

It depends on the listing, but market context helps: about 32.2 percent of New Orleans listings are professionally managed, with Heirloom the largest single manager at 77 listings. Metairie and Arabi are separate parish markets with their own economics, so a manager pitch built for New Orleans shouldn't be recycled for either satellite without adjusting the numbers.

Who is booking New Orleans stays right now?

Most New Orleans guests travel from New York, followed by Houston. The average stay runs 5 nights, booked roughly 62 days ahead of arrival. Urban-core guests tend to want the Marigny and the riverfront, while Metairie and Arabi each draw their own separate booking pattern worth reflecting in listing copy.

Is the Garden District legal for a short-term rental?

No -- the Garden District is banned for short-term rental use. Most of the French Quarter is also banned, with a limited exception for a specific Vieux Carre Entertainment/Bourbon stretch. Call 504-658-7144 to confirm zoning on your specific parcel before assuming any address in these neighborhoods qualifies.

Does Metairie share New Orleans's numbers?

No. Metairie is a distinct parish market -- it earned roughly $10,999 per listing across 116 active rentals, far below New Orleans's $39,476 across 5,013 listings. Jefferson Parish also runs its own separate licensing desk (504-364-3560, Joseph S. Yenni Building) with its own $750 annual processing fee -- don't file that as a New Orleans cost.

What should go into a New Orleans buyer or startup packet?

A New Orleans startup or buyer packet should cite the actual city figures -- $39,476 average revenue across 5,013 active listings, supply up 8.4 percent year over year, and the April-heavy peak season -- alongside a direct call to Short-Term Rental Administration at 504-658-7144 to confirm zoning, lottery status, and current permit fees. Keep Metairie and Arabi figures separate rather than folding satellite parishes into the New Orleans number.

Work with Crest & Cove Creative

New Orleans hosts often market off a scraped citywide average instead of the guest who's actually booking. Copy that ignores the NSTR lottery, the Garden District ban, and the April peak blends into every other French Quarter-adjacent rental instead of standing out.

Crest & Cove Creative builds STR marketing around what a market's real data and zoning actually allow, not a copy-paste factory closer. Let's turn New Orleans's actual booking pattern into a listing that converts Marigny and riverfront searchers.

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