Duluth treats an accessory dwelling unit’s status and its rental approval as separate questions. The City says an ADU must be on the same platted lot or tax parcel as the primary residential structure and have the same owner. It may be rented with an approved rental permit from the City’s Life Safety Division.
Current short-term-rental permit availability (checked October 24, 2026): The City says a moratorium restricting issuance of short-term-rental permits is in effect. Updated rules and permitting processes are anticipated in late 2026. The three routes below describe the City’s published permit categories; they do not establish whether a permit can currently be issued for a specific property. Before planning short stays, confirm current availability with the City’s Life Safety Division at 218-730-4380 and check the City’s current permitting notice.
Short-term rentals use separate permit paths
The City says a short-term-rental permit is required for vacation rentals. Its current guidance lists three routes:
- An Accessory Home Share Permit requires the owner to reside in the unit and be present during the rental. It allows 1–29 night stays, up to four guests in two bedrooms, and one listing per night.
- An Accessory Vacation Dwelling Unit, Limited Permit allows the owner to reside in the unit without being present during the rental. It allows stays of 2–7 consecutive nights, up to nine guests in four bedrooms, and no more than 21 rental nights per calendar year.
- A Vacation Dwelling Unit or Accessory Vacation Dwelling Unit permit covers an entire unit rented without the owner present. The City allows 2–29 night stays, up to nine guests and four bedrooms, with guest and parking requirements based on the number of bedrooms. A City permit cap applies except in Form districts.
These categories have different occupancy, parking, life-safety, and permit conditions. A short-term-rental permit does not replace an ADU rental permit or other applicable state lodging and tax requirements.
Check the approvals for the unit
Start with the City’s ADU guidance, then confirm the unit’s rental permit with Life Safety. For short stays, use the City’s current short-term-rental guidance and check whether an additional planning, building, or lodging approval applies to the address.
Key points
- Same ownership and same lot are part of Duluth’s ADU rule.
- A regular rental permit and a short-term-rental permit are separate approvals.
- The permit category controls the permitted stay pattern and occupancy limits.