Violation of City Code by operating a STR without a license will result in a Compliance Notice followed by Administrative Citations beginning at $250 (or currently published Fee Schedule), doubling with each additional violation (documented stay by guests less than 30 nights). 

If you begin operating a STR without a license and decide to apply for a license if/when one becomes available, City Council has the right to deny the application per City Code listed below. 

Sec. 6-11. - Action on license.

(d) Denial, suspension or revocation.

(1) Reasons for denial, suspension or revocation. Any license may be denied, suspended or revoked for one or more of the following reasons.

q. The activity has been conducted without a license

Short-Term Rental licenses do NOT run with the land.  STR licenses are nontransferable per City Code listed below.

Sec. 6-413. - Applications.

(c) Changes in ownership. A license is nontransferable. If there is a change in the ownership of the rental dwelling or rental dwelling unit, a new license is required.

There is no guaranty that a new owner of a previously licensed short-term rental will be awarded a STR license.  Licensing is based on each application including but not limited to; availability of license, compliance with City Code and MN State Building Code, satisfactory Fire and Building inspections, satisfactory background check(s), City Council approval. 

R-3 Occupancy (Permanent Residence)
If the property is primarily a permanent residence—meaning it serves as someone’s year-round home—it is classified as R-3.

• The licensee/applicant, property owner, or designated manager/operator must maintain the property, host guests, and remain within 60 minutes of the property while guests are present.
• Homestead status is not a sole determination of Occupancy.
• Staying at a property for 6 months out of the year to obtain Homestead Status per the County does not qualify as a year-round residence for R-3 Occupancy.
• City staff may request additional information during the application process to verify the Occupancy Classification.
• Failure to provide required information will result in an incomplete application. Incomplete applications will be rejected without further review and will not move forward for Council consideration.

R-1 Occupancy (Transient Use)
If no one resides at the property year-round—meaning its primary use is for transient guests or occasional stays (including property owner)—the property is classified as R-1.

• For clarification on R-1 Occupancy Classification, consult a certified architect.
• City staff will only review signed, certified architectural plans showing compliance with the MN State Building Code for R-1 Occupancy.
• Certified architectural plans are required at the time of application submittal.
• Any work needed to bring the property into compliance must be completed with proper building permits before STR application submittal.
• Incomplete applications will be rejected without further review by staff and will not move forward for Council consideration.

A non-refundable $600 application fee is due when an application is submitted for processing

$15 check made to the MNBCA for each owner or operator with keys to the property

$150 for each reinspection required for a property

The City of Stillwater wants to ensure all visitors a safe and enjoyable stay within the City. That includes making sure all owners, operators, and managers are vetted prior to the issuance of their license.   

Recent changes to Building Codes affect all new STHR's. Click here to view the New Building Code Classification sheet.

Yes, if the property is not owner occupied. The Building Code requires non-owner occupied Short-Term Home Rentals to meet accessibility code requirements. For more details, please read through the accessibility code documents below.

Please consult with a certified architect to better understand the code requirements. The submittal of Certified Architectural plans of the property are required for all non-owner occupied applications. 

City Building Code Classification

Building Code- Scoping Criteria - 2020 MN Accessibility Code

Building Code - ANSI Technical Criteria - 2020 MN Accessibility Code

Yes if your property is not owner occupied or the home is over 4500 sq. ft.

These STHR's must comply with the accessibility requirements. Certified architectural plans showing how the home will comply with the codes are required for the application submittal.

We recommend you reach out to an architect to discuss accessibility requirements and building codes.  

Either way is an option.  The information will need to be provided, and it will change how it is reviewed by the Building Code.
If the property has a resident that is primarily permanent in nature, then it will be reviewed as an R-3 property. 
If the property is not owner-occupied and the primary use is for transient guests, it will be reviewed as a R-1 property and will need to meet accessibility requirements.

We recommend that you talk to the Washington County Assessors Office for questions regarding your specific property. They can be reached at (651) 275-7515.

Your guests will have to follow all rules and regulations any resident would have to follow.

Short-Term Rental License requires that no events or parties are allowed to be held at the property by guests, and all parking must be accommodated on the property. To be respectful of your neighbor's, there is no street parking allowed for Short-Term Rental guests. 

Generally, around 2-3 months. All properties must be inspected and go before the City Council for their approval. However, that is largely dependent on whether you pass your initial home inspection.

To help applicants, we provide an inspection list to complete prior to inspection. This allows applicants time to fix any issues that may exist on their property prior to inspection. 

Yes.

You must be within 60 minutes of the property any time that the property is being rented, OR have a previously designated operator (on application with a background check complete) who is within 60 minutes of the property while guests are renting. Their information must  be included on your application forms.

As a Short-Term Rental owner you will need to pay a 3% Lodging Tax on all lodging associated income. This 'Lodging Tax'  is paid quarterly to the City of Stillwater, and is separate from any taxes collected by vacation rental websites such as AirBnb or VRBO.

At this time the City of Stillwater does not have any agreements with such websites for the collection of this tax and therefore it is the Short Term Rental property owner's responsibility to remit the taxes quarterly. 

For more information on Lodging Tax click here

In order to maintain the pleasant atmosphere within our community, the City of Stillwater has a ‘three strikes you’re out’ policy regarding substantiated Short-Term Rental complaints. City Ordinance states that:

“Depending on the circumstances, nature and severity of the violation of any of the above-stated provisions, the City Council may hold a license hearing for consideration of suspension, revocation or conversion to a provisional license, if deemed appropriate. Any short-term home rental license may be suspended or revoked for one or more of the following reasons: (1) It is the third substantiated and relevant complaint or violation of this article within a 12-month period. (2) The licensee has acted in an unauthorized manner or beyond the scope of the license granted.”

Please contact the property owner/operator with any questions or concerns. It is preferred that any issues be brought to the property owner first and attempted to be resolved between neighbors. If the issue persists, please follow the below procedure to inform the Community Development Department. All complaints must be substantiated, via photos/videos (date stamped) which will be further investigated by Code Enforcement or Police complaint which will require a record of true disorderly conduct before they will count as a strike against the Short-Term Home Rental.

 Complaint Procedure:

1. First contact the property owner to attempt to resolve the issue.
2. If the problem persists:

   a. Noise complaints or Safety concerns: Call the Stillwater Police Department’s non-emergency line at 651-351-4900 to report your complaint.

   i. Please also call/email the Admin Department to inform us of your filed complaint.

   b. Parking violations or other concerns:  Email the Admin Department with your complaint and evidence to help substantiate the complaint. I.e. photos or videos date stamped.  The Admin Department can be reached at 651-430-8800 or emailed at stillwater@stillwatermn.gov. Please include your name, address and the offending rentals address for all complaints.