Short-term rentals
In Louisville Metro's residential zones from R-R through R-8A, a short-term rental that is not the owner's primary residence needs a conditional use permit from the Board of Zoning Adjustment plus annual registration.
For investors: Every investor-owned nightly rental in a Louisville residential zone therefore goes to a public BOZA hearing, so treat approval as uncertain until granted. Owner-occupied rentals in the same zones are instead approved by the Planning Director under special standards, unless residency is questioned.
Source: Louisville Metro Land Development Code 4.2.63 (American Legal, 2026 S-48), Oct 2026
Louisville's short-term rental conditional use permit limits guest stays to 29 consecutive days and one rental contract at a time, and requires 600 feet from any other short-term rental approved by conditional use permit.
For investors: Check LOJIC maps and recent BOZA cases for nearby permitted rentals before paying for a location. If two already sit within 600 feet in a fully residential area, relief is barred, but the buffer does not apply when the owner lives in another unit on the same parcel.
Source: Louisville Metro Land Development Code 4.2.63(A), (B), (D) (American Legal, 2026 S-48), Oct 2026
Before filing for a Louisville conditional use permit, an owner files a pre-application, mails first- and second-tier neighbors at least 14 days before a neighborhood meeting, and must file within 90 days after it.
For investors: The pre-application conference itself is optional. Letters also reach current residents of those neighboring homes, the Metro Council member and planning staff, and the filing must include the invite list, attendance sheet and a summary of concerns raised, so bring a parking and noise plan.
Source: Louisville Metro Land Development Code 11.5A.2 and 11.5A.3 (American Legal, 2026 S-48); Office of Planning CUP Application (July 2025), Oct 2026
Under the fee schedule in effect July 1, 2025, a Louisville short-term rental conditional use pre-application costs $250 and the permit $1,250 if non-owner-occupied or $550 if owner-occupied, plus a $60 clerk's fee.
For investors: Expect about $1,560 in Planning fees on an investor-owned rental before the first $250 yearly registration, all paid before the board rules. Applications on properties bought from the Louisville Land Bank within the prior year are exempt from Planning fees.
Source: Louisville Metro Office of Planning Fee Schedule, LDC Appendix 11A, in effect July 1, 2025 (American Legal, 2026 S-48); CUP Application (July 2025), Oct 2026
Louisville short-term rental registration carries a nonrefundable $250 annual fee, and a conditional use permit becomes void if the rental is not registered within 30 days of the permit's issuance.
For investors: Register with the Office of Planning right after the permit issues, and with the Louisville Metro Revenue Commission, since the host owes transient room and occupational license taxes. Renewals are accepted only in the final 30 days, and a late renewal is processed as a new application.
Source: Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances 115.517(B), (C) and LDC 4.2.63(K) (American Legal, 2026 S-48), Oct 2026
A change of host or owner voids a Louisville short-term rental registration; if the new owner's registration is not issued within 30 days of the change, the conditional use permit also becomes void.
For investors: Buying a permitted Louisville rental does not hand you a working registration. Get the seller's BOZA case number and conditions before closing and file your own registration at once, because a lapsed permit means a new application judged under the rules in force at that time.
Source: Louisville Metro Land Development Code 4.2.63(L) and Code of Ordinances 115.517(D) (American Legal, 2026 S-48), Oct 2026
In residential zones, a Louisville owner-occupied short-term rental requires the owner to have lived there at least six months before applying and to hold title personally, not through a company, partnership or corporation.
For investors: Holding a Louisville house in an LLC moves it into the non-owner-occupied category, with a public hearing and the $1,250 permit fee. Each yearly registration also needs a Kentucky driver's license or ID at that address plus one more proof, such as a voter card or tax return.
Source: Louisville Metro Land Development Code 4.3.23(K) and 1.2.2 definition of Owner-Occupied Short Term Rental (American Legal, 2026 S-48), Oct 2026
Outside the C-R, C-N, C-1, C-2, C-3, OR-3, OTF and EZ-1 zones, Louisville allows short-term rentals only in single-family houses, duplexes, and condos that are the owner's home with condo board approval.
For investors: That rules out nightly units in most Louisville apartment buildings outside the listed zones, while houses and duplexes stay eligible. The code says the building-type rule cannot be waived, so confirm a target's zoning and form district on LOJIC before counting on short-term income.
Source: Louisville Metro Land Development Code 4.3.23(D) and 4.2.63(E) (American Legal, 2026 S-48); Short Term Rental Annual Registration Form (Oct. 2025), Oct 2026
Louisville fines short-term rental violations $125 for a first offense, $250 for a second, $500 for a third and $1,000 after that, with each day after notice a separate offense.
For investors: Two substantiated complaints within 12 months also trigger revocation of the registration, and an owner or host whose registration is revoked cannot receive any new Louisville registration for one calendar year, which can stall a plan to add more short-term units.
Source: Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances 115.999(N) (American Legal, 2026 S-48), Oct 2026