Since our last update in April, the New Orleans City Council has placed a freeze on temporary licenses in many of the most popular neighborhoods for short-term rentals. As of September, active licenses and approved license applications — totaling about 4,700 in April — have dropped by 16 percent.

Applications received: 11,583

Applications approved: 3,953

Licenses Expired: 3,046

Updated: Sept. 12, 2018



Some applications aren’t mapped because they did not include full location information. The number of applications received includes some that were denied and later resubmitted and approved. Application information from the City of New Orleans. Photos from the Orleans Parish Assessor’s Office. Questions? Contact Charles Maldonado.

Guide to license types

There are three types of licenses: accessory, temporary and commercial.

Accessory and temporary licenses are for homes in residential neighborhoods.

Accessory licenses, which cost $200, allow homeowners with a homestead exemption (which means they live there) to rent rooms or half-doubles. The licenses are good for a year and allow up to three bedrooms to be rented to up to six guests at a time. Property owners are required to be home while their homes are being rented.

Temporary licenses are for whole-house rentals. They are open to property owners or long-term tenants. They cost $50 with a homestead exemption or $150 without one. This license allows the home to rented for up to 90 days per year. Each rental can have up to five bedrooms and up to 10 guests at a time.

Commercial licenses are available only in non-residential neighborhoods. Like accessory licenses, they allow for whole-home rentals, but there is no annual limit on bookings. They cost $500 per year and are available to owners or third-party operators who have the owner’s permission.

See our prior coverage for more about the city’s short-term rental law.