Short-term rentals
Albuquerque requires its own short-term rental permit for every dwelling unit rented for 29 days or less, at $120 for the first year and $90 for each yearly renewal.
For investors: Budget the permit per unit, not per property: a duplex with both sides on Airbnb needs two permits and two renewals. Permits run 12 months, so set renewals on the calendar before the anniversary to avoid a gap.
Source: Albuquerque Code of Ordinances (ROA 1994) Chapter 13, Article 19, Short Term Rentals (American Legal Publishing), §13-19-6, Oct 2026
An Albuquerque short-term rental may sleep two adults per bedroom plus two more, and gatherings above that count are capped at double the overnight limit or 20 people, ending by 10 p.m.
For investors: Underwrite nightly revenue on the legal headcount: a three-bedroom house tops out at eight adults, which limits group bookings around Balloon Fiesta weekends. Listings that advertise more guests than the formula allows invite a code complaint.
Source: Albuquerque Code of Ordinances (ROA 1994) Chapter 13, Article 19, Short Term Rentals (American Legal Publishing), §13-19-7, Oct 2026
Each Albuquerque short-term rental unit must carry at least $250,000 of short-term rental liability coverage and display both its city permit and the Good Neighbor Agreement inside the unit.
For investors: Check that the platform's host protection or your own policy meets the $250,000 per unit floor before applying, since the city asks you to upload proof of coverage with the application. The permit number also has to appear in every listing.
Source: Albuquerque Code of Ordinances (ROA 1994) Chapter 13, Article 19, Short Term Rentals (American Legal Publishing), §13-19-5, Oct 2026
An Albuquerque short-term rental permit ends when the unit changes owners, so a buyer who wants to keep renting nightly must file a new application.
For investors: When buying a turnkey Airbnb, assume the seller's permit ends at closing and plan for a fresh application, which the city says usually clears in five to seven business days once complete. Line up insurance and the floor plan before closing.
Source: Albuquerque Code of Ordinances (ROA 1994) Chapter 13, Article 19, Short Term Rentals (American Legal Publishing), §13-19-6(C), Oct 2026
Albuquerque revokes a short-term rental permit for two years after three or more city or state law violations within 12 months, and the city can sue for civil assessments of $500 a day.
For investors: One problem guest after another can sink the business model, so screening, noise monitoring and a local manager matter here. A revoked permit takes the unit off the short-term market for two years, so stress test the deal as a long-term rental.
Source: Albuquerque Code of Ordinances (ROA 1994) Chapter 13, Article 19, Short Term Rentals (American Legal Publishing), §13-19-8, Oct 2026
Stays under 30 days in Albuquerque owe the city's 5% lodgers' tax plus a 1% hospitality fee on gross taxable rent, and each vendor reports by the 25th for the prior month.
For investors: The combined 6% city charge sits on top of New Mexico gross receipts tax, so price it into the nightly rate. Guests staying 30 or more consecutive days are exempt, which makes monthly traveling nurse or contractor stays simpler.
Source: Albuquerque Code of Ordinances (ROA 1994) §§4-4-6, 4-4-9 and 4-8-4 (American Legal Publishing), Oct 2026
Even when Airbnb or Vrbo remits Albuquerque's lodgers' tax and hospitality fee, the operator must still file the city report every month by the 25th for the previous month.
For investors: Platform remittance does not end the paperwork. A missed zero-balance report can still put the account out of compliance, so assign the monthly filing to a property manager or bookkeeper before the first booking.
Source: City of Albuquerque Planning Department, Short-Term Rental FAQ, Oct 2026