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No zoning-class STR ban. Bay St. Louis Business License covers all parcels. Old Town historic district overlays apply to exterior renovations but not STR use. The neighboring Waveland is a SEPARATE jurisdiction (substantially similar rules). Hancock County's separate Tourism Tax registration applies. Hurricane-zone elevation requirements (post-Katrina building code) apply to all new construction and major renovations.
Operators must hold a short-term rental permit before listing. See the official permit portal.
Bay St. Louis Community Development + Code Enforcement administer. Annual Business License renewal. MS State Tax Commission + Hancock County Tourism Tax registration. Operating without license/tax registration: back-tax + administrative penalties. Enforcement primarily complaint-driven and tax-compliance focused given the modest STR volume (~few hundred active listings citywide).
Combined short-term lodging tax in Bay St. Louis is approximately 12.000% of gross nightly revenue (state sales + state TRT + local TRT + applicable resort/city options).
MS State sales tax 7% + Hancock County local option 1% + Bay St. Louis Tourism Tax 3% + small city options — combined ~12.0% on transient lodging
Verify the current combined rate via the Utah State Tax Commission before remitting — rates drift quarterly.
STR regulations vary by jurisdiction. Compare Bay St. Louis against nearby markets.