Short-Term Rental Laws in St. George, Utah

St. George permits short-term residential rentals (<28 days) only in designated zones — generally Commercial (C-1, C-2, C-3) and Mixed-Use (PD-MU, RPSO Resort) districts, plus master-planned resort developments like Las Palmas and Sports Village. All single-family residential zones (R-1, RE) prohibit STRs, with the exception of grandfathered properties holding a license predating the ordinance. The Title 10 Chapter 17A zoning overlay is the binding text — confirm parcel zoning before any offer.

Allowed zones include C-1/C-2/C-3 Commercial, PD-MU Planned Development Mixed-Use, RPSO Resort Planned Single Overlay, and specific master-planned resort projects (Las Palmas, Sports Village, Sun River). Single-family residential zones (R-1, R-1-6, R-1-8, R-1-10, R-1-12, R-2, RE-12.5, RE-20) prohibit short-term residential rental as a permitted use. Verify zoning via the St. George Community Development office before purchase — Title 10-17A-13 lays out the parcel-level eligibility test.

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

Registration is required. Use the city registration portal to start the process.

Operating without a permit is a code-enforcement violation handled by the St. George Code Enforcement division. Application requires a designated local property manager within Washington County reachable 24/7, proof of property insurance, safety/life-safety standards (smoke + CO detectors, posted occupancy, working fire extinguisher), and parking plan. Renewable annually. Washington County also issues a county-level STR license that operates parallel to the city permit — both required for properties in the St. George city limits.

Combined short-term lodging tax in St. George is approximately 11.500% of gross nightly revenue (state sales + state TRT + local TRT + applicable resort/city options).

Utah State sales (4.85%) + state TRT (0.32%) + Washington County TRT + St. George city TRT + resort communities tax — combined effective lodging tax ~11.5%; confirm at Utah State Tax Commission

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