Louisville, Kentucky Short-Term Rental Market
Louisville non-owner STRs need a conditional use permit; metro ADR is $270, occupancy 62.0%, revenue $4,171 in September 2026.
Quick Answer: Louisville, Kentucky is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Louisville market area is 62%. average monthly revenue in the Louisville market area is $4,171. average daily rate in the Louisville market area is $270. the top operator in the Louisville market area is Venturebnb with 271 listings. market score is 77/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the wider Louisville market, which covers 7 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Louisville.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Short-term rental performance for Louisville is tracked at the metro level. The series on this page also covers Jeffersonville, Indiana, across the Ohio River, so every performance figure describes the Louisville metro area STR market. As of September 2026, that market averaged an ADR of $270 and occupancy of 62.0%, which produced average monthly revenue of $4,171 per listing. Entire homes averaged $283 per night, luxury listings reached $490, and professionally managed listings averaged $348. Year over year, occupancy rose 4.6%, ADR slipped 0.4%, and revenue per listing edged up 0.6%. Demand growth is doing the work while nightly pricing is flat. Through September 2026, the year to date figures show 57.0% occupancy, a $219 ADR and $3,424 in average monthly revenue, compared with 54.4% occupancy, a $214 ADR and $3,300 for full year 2025. Louisville has a population of 641,962 and welcomes roughly 19 million visitors a year, with a stated goal of 25 million by 2030. Tourism generated a record $4.4 billion in economic impact in 2024 and supports about 28,460 jobs in Jefferson County. Most visitors arrive by car from drive markets such as Indianapolis, Lexington, Chicago and Cincinnati, and more than 90% of surveyed visitors had been to Louisville before, averaging more than seven prior trips. Key draws are the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and the downtown bourbon distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. On the buy side, the typical Louisville home value is $267,770 and 2,863 homes were for sale at the last housing snapshot. Bedroom, channel and listing-type counts and top operator names are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Louisville, so this profile omits them.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 45% |
| Feb | 54% |
| Mar | 58% |
| Apr | 56% |
| May | 52% |
| Jun | 61% |
| Jul | 65% |
| Aug | 55% |
| Sep | 60% |
| Oct | 56% |
| Nov | 51% |
| Dec | 50% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Louisville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Louisville market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Louisville market as a whole, which includes Louisville, so these counts are not Louisville-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venturebnb | 271 | 9,775 | ★ 4.77 |
| 2 | STR MGMT | 131 | 3,142 | ★ 4.70 |
| 3 | CozySuites | 113 | 1,001 | ★ 3.51 |
| 4 | BNB Louisville | 81 | 3,865 | ★ 4.89 |
| 5 | Evolve | 67 | 1,769 | ★ 4.63 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Louisville?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Louisville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 52.4% |
| vrbo | 5.1% |
| both | 42.5% |
Home Value Trends (Louisville)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Louisville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Louisville — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals, defined as rentals under 30 consecutive days, are legal in Louisville Metro but regulated. The rules below apply to Louisville Metro; Jeffersonville, Indiana falls under separate rules not covered here. Every STR must be registered annually with the Office of Planning, with an application fee of about $250, and must also be registered with the Louisville Metro Revenue Commission for tax purposes. The permit path depends on owner-occupancy. A host’s primary residence in residential or office-residential zoning can operate with only an annual administrative registration, but the host must document residency and must have lived at the property for at least 6 months before applying. A Conditional Use Permit, approved by a public board after a hearing, is required for properties that are not the owner’s primary residence, for condo units, and for properties in R-R, R-E, R-1 through R-8A, U-N or TNZD districts. Properties in the Old Louisville and Limerick neighborhoods always require both a CUP and annual registration. Operators must collect and remit the 8.5% Louisville Metro Transient Room Tax, which is 15.5% combined with the 6% state rate, plus applicable occupational license taxes. There is no published annual night cap. Enforcement is rated moderate. Fines apply for unregistered operation, and advertising an STR on a platform without registration can cost $125 per day. September 2023 amendments tightened the rules by changing the occupancy standard from host to owner, adding the 6-month residency requirement, and raising the fee reportedly from $100 to $250.
Market Comparison
The Louisville metro area STR market posted 62.0% occupancy and a $270 ADR in September 2026. The trend is positive on volume. Occupancy is up 4.6% year over year, while ADR is down 0.4%, so growth is coming from more booked nights rather than higher rates. For the year to date through September 2026, occupancy is 57.0% and ADR is $219, compared with 54.4% occupancy and a $214 ADR for full year 2025. The September reading is stronger than the full year because the current month sits in a favorable season. Over the past decade, annual average occupancy rose from 50.9% in 2017 to 57.0% in 2026 year to date, and ADR rose from $147 to $219. Louisville benefits from a repeat visitor base and a large drive market, which supports occupancy. Regulation is the main difference from many other markets, since non-owner-occupied properties need a Conditional Use Permit.
Frequently Asked Questions About Louisville, Kentucky
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