Sources and method
We use official government pages only: city, state or national authorities and the text of their ordinances. If an official page does not state a fact, we publish "not stated", never an estimate. 16 cities are covered.
For each city we read the permit or registration page and the ordinance text it relies on. A fact is published only with a short verbatim quote from the page, the page address and the date we read it. A machine check confirms that each quote appears in the page we saved. A city is published only when at least four of the eight facts we look for can be stated.
What this does not cover
- Rules can differ by zone, building type, permit tier or neighbourhood. Where a city's pages give no single answer, we write "not stated" and say why.
- We do not check an address. Zoning of your street, building rules, homeowners' association rules, lease terms and condominium by-laws are outside what city pages let us read.
- National, state and platform rules can apply on top of a city's. We cover them only where the city's own page says so.
- Fines and fees change. Where only an older ordinance text states an amount and no current page confirms it, we do not publish the amount.
- Lodging tax: we publish a rate only when the official page states one. Many pages name the tax without giving a rate.
Cities we cover (16)
| City | Rules | Main official source | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | Boston Code of Ordinances ch. IX, s. 9-14 Short-Term Residential Rentals (Short-Term Rental Program, Inspectional Services) | www.boston.gov | 2026-10-02 |
| Denver | Denver Revised Municipal Code short-term rental license (Council Bill CB16-0262, amended by CB20-0240 and CB20-1229) | www.denvergov.org | 2026-10-02 |
| Edinburgh | Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short Term Lets) Order 2022; City of Edinburgh Council Short-Term Lets Licensing Policy (19 May 2025) | www.edinburgh.gov.uk | 2026-10-02 |
| Los Angeles | Home-Sharing Ordinance (Ord. No. 185,931; LAMC Section 12.22 A.32; CF 14-1635-S2) | planning.lacity.gov | 2026-10-02 |
| Montreal | Ville de Montreal permit to rent a principal residence to tourists; Reglement sur l'hebergement touristique; Quebec Tourist Accommodation Act (CITQ registration) | montreal.ca | 2026-10-02 |
| New York City | Local Law 18 of 2022 (Short-Term Rental Registration Law, NYC Admin. Code 26-3101 et seq.) and OSE rules on registration and requirements for short-term rentals | www.nyc.gov | 2026-10-02 |
| Paris | Ville de Paris rules for meubles de tourisme (registration number; change of use under Code de la construction et de l'habitation L631-7) | www.paris.fr | 2026-10-02 |
| Philadelphia | Philadelphia Zoning Code 14-604(13) Limited Lodging; Bill No. 210081 (2021); Limited Lodging Operator License (Department of Licenses and Inspections) | www.phila.gov | 2026-10-02 |
| Portland, OR | Portland City Code Chapter 33.207 Accessory Short-Term Rentals (Type A permit for 1-2 bedrooms; Type B for 3-5 bedrooms is a separate conditional use not covered here) | www.portland.gov | 2026-10-02 |
| San Diego | Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) Ordinance, San Diego Municipal Code Chapter 5, Article 10 | www.sandiego.gov | 2026-10-02 |
| San Francisco | Administrative Code Chapter 41A (Short-Term Residential Rentals), administered by the Office of Short-Term Rentals | sfplanning.org | 2026-10-02 |
| Seattle | Short-Term Rental Regulatory License, Ordinance 125490 (Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 6.600); Land Use Code SMC 23.42.060 | www.seattle.gov | 2026-10-02 |
| Sydney (New South Wales) | NSW State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 STRA framework; NSW STRA Register (applies statewide incl. City of Sydney) | www.planning.nsw.gov.au | 2026-10-02 |
| Toronto | Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 547, Licensing and Registration of Short-Term Rentals (by-law 613-2018 as amended; version dated January 1, 2025); Chapter 758 Municipal Accommodation Tax | www.toronto.ca | 2026-10-02 |
| Vienna | Bauordnung fuer Wien (BO) para. 7a and para. 129 Abs. 1a (Kurzzeitvermietung); Wiener Tourismusfoerderungsgesetz (Ortstaxe) | www.wien.gv.at | 2026-10-02 |
| Washington, DC | Short-Term Rental Regulation Act of 2018 (14 DCMR 9901.6) - DLCP Short-Term Rental / Vacation Rental License | dlcp.dc.gov | 2026-10-02 |
Not covered yet (19)
These cities are on our list. We have not published them because we could not yet verify enough of their rules or could not read their official pages.
| City | Where we are |
|---|---|
| Amsterdam | We could not read the city's official pages with our method yet. |
| Atlanta | We could not read the city's official pages with our method yet. |
| Austin | Official rules exist, but we have not yet verified enough details to publish a result for this city. |
| Barcelona | We could not read the city's official pages with our method yet. |
| Berlin | A 2026 amendment of the Berlin law is not reflected in the pages we saved, so the rules may have changed. |
| Chicago | Official rules exist, but we have not yet verified enough details to publish a result for this city. |
| Copenhagen | Official rules exist, but we have not yet verified enough details to publish a result for this city. |
| Dublin | Official rules exist, but we have not yet verified enough details to publish a result for this city. |
| Honolulu | Official rules exist, but we have not yet verified enough details to publish a result for this city. |
| Las Vegas | Official rules exist, but we have not yet verified enough details to publish a result for this city. |
| Lisbon | We could not read the city's official pages with our method yet. |
| London | Official rules exist, but we have not yet verified enough details to publish a result for this city. |
| Madrid | Official rules exist, but we have not yet verified enough details to publish a result for this city. |
| Miami Beach | Official rules exist, but we have not yet verified enough details to publish a result for this city. |
| Nashville | Official rules exist, but we have not yet verified enough details to publish a result for this city. |
| New Orleans | Official rules exist, but we have not yet verified enough details to publish a result for this city. |
| Prague | A national ministry page says no registration regime applies yet; we have not read the city's own pages. |
| Tokyo | Official rules exist, but we have not yet verified enough details to publish a result for this city. |
| Vancouver | We could not read the city's official pages with our method yet. |
Updates
We re-read every source each quarter and show the date we last read each page. If a quote can no longer be found on its page, the fact is withdrawn until it is checked again.
Not legal advice
HostRulesCheck gives general information from official pages. It is not legal advice and is not affiliated with any city, government or booking platform. Confirm every point with the city before you host.