Shreveport, Louisiana Airbnb Rules & Investment Guide (2026)

Proceed only after the Metropolitan Planning Commission confirms the permit path and the property can satisfy licensing, tax, safety, insurance, parking, and private-use requirements.

• Confirm Shreveport city-limit status, zoning, dwelling type, bedroom count, planned adult occupancy, and nearby approved Type B permits before acquisition.
• Identify whether the operation needs a Type A, Type B-1, or Type B-2 permit and whether a Special Exception Use is required.
• Budget the occupational license, permit, renewal, insurance, plans, notification, safety, tax, and operating costs tied to the selected property.
• Review title, lease, mortgage, association, insurance, and private-use restrictions independently of City approval.
• After permit eligibility and property costs are documented, Plan Your Shreveport Property Strategy Call.

Shreveport requires a permit before a residential dwelling, accessory dwelling unit, or room is advertised or rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days.

• Type A covers rental of part of a dwelling or an accessory dwelling unit and may receive administrative approval.
• Type B covers rental of an entire dwelling unit.
• Type B-1 may receive administrative approval when adult occupancy does not exceed 10 and a distance-triggered special exception is not required.
• Type B-2 requires Special Exception Use review when occupancy exceeds 10 adults, distance limits apply, or the Executive Director requires that review.
• Type A rentals do not trigger the Type B distance rule; verify every classification with the MPC before relying on an exemption.

Apply through the Metropolitan Planning Commission at least 30 days before starting operations and complete every prerequisite for the assigned permit type.

• Obtain the required City occupational license before completing the STR permit package.
• Provide proof of ownership or an owner authorization letter and evidence of liability insurance.
• Submit a site or property plan showing parking, a floor plan, and required fire-safety information.
• Prepare the neighborhood notification letter and the list of nearby owners who must receive notice.
• Complete Special Exception Use approval first when the proposed Type B-2 operation requires it.

Permit holders must follow occupancy, advertising, contact, event, nuisance, and tax rules throughout the permit term.

• Limit Type A occupancy to two adults per bedroom and comply with the approved occupancy for every Type B permit.
• Place the issued STR permit number in each advertisement and listing.
• Maintain a local representative available at all times who can respond on site within 60 minutes after a complaint.
• Do not use the STR for weddings, corporate functions, commercial events, or large parties prohibited by Article 23.
• Collect and remit applicable City, parish, state, sales, and occupancy taxes unless a platform has documented responsibility for a specific tax.

The property must remain sanitary, structurally safe, and equipped for fire and carbon-monoxide risks before and during guest use.

• Maintain operable smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors where required.
• Provide accessible fire extinguishers and keep exits and escape paths usable.
• Maintain plumbing, electrical, heating, sanitary, and structural conditions required by applicable codes.
• Provide lawful trash and recycling storage and prevent nuisance conditions.
• Keep the approved floor plan, parking layout, emergency contacts, and safety equipment current when the operation changes.

Louisiana taxes sleeping-room rentals, including Airbnb transactions, and Shreveport operators must also resolve local sales and hotel-occupancy obligations.

• Louisiana lists a 5% state sales-tax rate for sleeping rooms outside Orleans and Jefferson Parishes from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2029.
• Taxable sleeping-room charges include rentals sold through online travel companies and Airbnb.
• The City directs local filing questions to the Caddo-Shreveport Sales and Use Tax Commission.
• Shreveport-Bossier hotel-occupancy taxes may apply in addition to state and local sales taxes.
• Confirm current rates, taxable fees, platform collection, registration, filing frequency, and remittance responsibility with each tax administrator before listing.

Operating or advertising without the required permit can lead to daily penalties and permit suspension or revocation.

• Article 23 makes operation or advertising without the applicable STR permit unlawful.
• Each day of a continuing violation may be treated as a separate offense.
• Failure to register within the applicable period can trigger a $100 civil penalty and $50 for each continuing day identified in the City fact sheet.
• The Zoning Administrator, Revenue Division, and police department have enforcement roles under the ordinance.
• Keep permit, tax, complaint-response, insurance, ownership, and safety records available for renewal and enforcement review.

Build a property-specific model only after permit eligibility, approved occupancy, taxes, insurance, financing, and recurring compliance costs are known.

• Use the approved adult occupancy and lawful bedroom count rather than listing capacity as the operating ceiling.
• Price the occupational license, initial permit, two-year renewal, insurance, safety work, plans, notification, tax compliance, cleaning, utilities, and management.
• Test conservative booking and expense assumptions without treating citywide averages as a forecast for one address.
• Stress-test a Type B special-exception denial, permit delay, neighbor complaint, safety repair, tax change, or operating interruption.
• Compare the documented after-expense result with lawful long-term rental and resale alternatives for the same property.

Use the MPC for permit and zoning questions and the named tax agencies for filing guidance.

• Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission: 318-673-6480, 505 Travis Street, Suite 440, Shreveport, Louisiana 71101.
• MPC email: info@shreveportcaddompc.com.
• Caddo-Shreveport Sales and Use Tax Commission: 318-865-3312 for local sales-tax administration.
• Louisiana Department of Revenue handles state sales-tax registration, returns, and sleeping-room tax guidance.
• Confirm fire, building, occupational-license, and police contacts applicable to the address during the MPC application review.

Verify current requirements against these government and public-agency sources before acquisition, application, renewal, or filing.

• Shreveport-Caddo MPC short-term-rental application and document list
• Shreveport UDC Article 23 short-term-rental ordinance
• Shreveport short-term-rental ordinance fact sheet
• Shreveport Type B distance-rule amendment
• Shreveport-Caddo MPC contact page
• City of Shreveport sales and use tax guidance
• Louisiana sleeping-room sales-tax rate guidance
• Louisiana Airbnb and online travel company tax guidance
• Louisiana general sales and use tax guidance
• Louisiana Shreveport-Bossier occupancy-tax statute