Short-Term Rental Laws in Brainerd, Minnesota

The Brainerd Lakes Area is a fragmented STR jurisdiction — the City of Brainerd itself has a tighter ordinance than surrounding lakeshore townships (Nisswa, Crosslake, Pequot Lakes, East Gull Lake, Lake Shore). Within Brainerd city limits, STR requires a Short-Term Rental License and is permitted in most residential zones subject to safety standards, occupancy caps tied to bedroom count, and a designated 24/7 contact. Most of the high-value lakefront STR inventory is actually in surrounding townships/cities under Crow Wing County jurisdiction, each with its own ordinance — confirm jurisdiction before any offer.

City of Brainerd: STR permitted in R-1, R-2, R-3 residential and mixed-use zones with annual license. Outside the city, the surrounding lakeshore municipalities (Nisswa, Crosslake, Lake Shore, East Gull Lake) have separately-enacted STR ordinances under Crow Wing County's shoreland zoning framework. Lake-frontage parcels in shoreland districts (within 1,000 ft of a lake or 300 ft of a river) trigger MN DNR shoreland-zoning standards that overlay the local STR rules. The "Brainerd Lakes Area" STR investor needs to verify the EXACT jurisdiction (city/township) before applying for a license.

Operators must hold a short-term rental permit before listing. See the official permit portal.

Brainerd Community Development administers within city limits. Crow Wing County Planning + Zoning administers shoreland-zoning compliance for unincorporated areas. Annual license renewal. Operating without the license: administrative fines + stop-rental orders. The fragmented jurisdiction map makes enforcement uneven — Nisswa and Crosslake have been the most active enforcers among the lakeshore townships, while smaller townships rely primarily on neighbor complaints.

Combined short-term lodging tax in Brainerd is approximately 13.375% of gross nightly revenue (state sales + state TRT + local TRT + applicable resort/city options).

Minnesota State sales 6.875% + Crow Wing County 0.5% + Brainerd city sales + Brainerd Lodging Tax 3% — combined ~13.4% on transient lodging; resort-area Crow Wing County jurisdictions may apply additional tourism assessments

Verify the current combined rate via the Utah State Tax Commission before remitting — rates drift quarterly.