Short Term Rentals

Effective July 12, 2023, permits from the city will be required to operate a short-term rental (STR) property within the City of Bella Vista. Permits must be renewed annually, and must be posted clearly visible at the location of the STR.

STR permits are required by city ordinance, which was approved by City Council members at the July 12, 2023, special meeting.

NOTE: Any STR permits issued or STR applications awaiting action by the city prior to July 12, 2023 shall be issued a permit under Ordinance 2023-37 and shall remain valid until July 12, 2024. There is no need for previous permit holders to reapply.

SHORT-TERM RENTAL is defined as “residential dwelling unit, portion of dwelling unit, or bedroom of dwelling unit leased or rented to guests for a period of less than thirty (30) consecutive days,” not including timeshare units or properties in commercial zones.

This ordinance sets the maximum number of active STR units in Bella Vista at 600, which does not include those units that are owner-occupied. New permits for additional units above that amount will be issued in the order applications are submitted as allowed when others cease operation. To be considered owner-occupied, the rental property must be the applicant’s primary residence and must occupy the structure at the same time as the guest. At the end of every business week, this webpage will be updated providing the amount of issued short-term rental permits that apply towards the 600 cap. 

Amount of Permits Issued Last Updated
372 4/12/24

 

PERMIT APPLICATION PROCESS
TO APPLY FOR A PERMIT, YOU WILL NEED:

  • An issued Certificate of Compliance from the A&P Commission. For questions about issuance, reach out to sandy@discoverbellavistaar.com 
  • A completed application form that includes: name, address, phone number, and email of property owner and a local point of contact within 50 miles (if applicable). 
  • A permit fee. If both of the above are met, your application will be processed by Staff and a secured link to pay the fee will be sent via email within 1-3 business days of applying. See below for permit fee information. 

PERMIT FEES:

  • Owner-occupied: $50 initially, then no cost for renewal each year
  • Non-owner-occupied: $150 initially, then $100 renewal each year

(To be considered owner-occupied, the rental property must be the applicant’s primary residence and must occupy the structure at the same time as the guest)

OTHER ITEMS:

  • Short-term rental units shall have a minimum of two (2) off-street parking spaces.
  • On-street parking for STR guests is prohibited.
  • Occupancy is limited to three (3) guests per bedroom, and bedroom is defined as it is in the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code.

VIOLATIONS:

  • First offense violation: $250-$500 fine
  • Second offense violation: $500-$1,000 fine
  • Third offense violation: $1,000- maximum allowed by the state plus loss of permit

*Those who have a permit revoked cannot be issued another for one year.

Applications will be available starting Friday, July 14, on the Planning Application page, and should be submitted to Community Development Services either by email to planning@bellavistaar.gov or in person to 616 W. Lancashire Blvd. Applications will be considered in the order they are received, and owners will be notified by the CDS permitting system, iWorq, through email if the permit is issued. Should staff need further information, the application will be contacted by staff via email or phone.

Direct questions to the Planning Division at planning@bellavistaar.gov or 479-268-4980, ext. 614.

Direct complaints to Code Enforcement through the non-emergency number at 479-855-3771.