Short-Term Rental Laws in Grand Forks, North Dakota

Grand Forks — anchored by the University of North Dakota + Grand Forks Air Force Base — permits STRs broadly across residential and commercial zones with business license + lodging tax registration + life-safety standards. UND football/hockey weekends, USAF reserve-component drills, and Red River Valley regional commerce drive STR demand. No primary-residence requirement, no nights cap, no zoning-class ban. Downtown Grand Forks (post-1997-flood redevelopment area) and the UND-adjacent neighborhoods have the highest STR concentration.

Zoning: STRs permitted in R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 residential and C-1, C-2, C-3, MU mixed-use zones. Downtown Historic District (post-flood redevelopment area including Demers Avenue + South 3rd Street) has design-review overlay for exterior work but STR use is broadly permitted. Properties within HOA-governed developments may have separate restrictions.

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

Grand Forks Planning + Community Development + Finance Office administer. Annual business license + STR registration. Application requires designated 24/7 local contact, proof of property insurance, life-safety self-certification, parking plan. Finance Office collects the Lodging Tax + city sales tax monthly. Operating unlicensed: administrative penalty + back-tax assessment. Enforcement primarily complaint-driven.

Combined short-term lodging tax in Grand Forks is approximately 11.000% of gross nightly revenue (state sales + state TRT + local TRT + applicable resort/city options).

North Dakota State sales tax 5% + Grand Forks County sales + Grand Forks city sales 2.25% + Grand Forks Lodging Tax 3% — combined ~11% on transient lodging; confirm at Grand Forks Finance Office

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