Covington, Louisiana Short-Term Rental Market
Covington, LA STRs averaged $172/night at 54.5% occupancy in April 2026, in a market legally restricted to the historic downtown district.
Quick Answer: Covington, Louisiana is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 59%. average monthly revenue is $3,019. average daily rate is $188. the top operator is Evolve with 115 listings. market score is 90/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Louisiana Area regional market, which includes Covington. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Covington.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Covington, Louisiana is the seat of St. Tammany Parish on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain, roughly 40 miles north of New Orleans. Its walkable historic downtown, Arts District galleries, Three Rivers Arts Festival, craft brewery scene, and outdoor access to the Bogue Falaya River and the 31-mile Tammany Trace rail-trail draw regional visitors from the New Orleans metro and beyond. The broader St. Tammany/Northshore tourism market attracts roughly 3 million visitors annually and generated over $1.3 billion in visitor spending in 2024, according to Visit The Northshore. No Covington-specific annual visitor count is published.
As of April 2026, the Covington STR market tracked approximately 6,360 active listings across the broader market area. The average daily rate was $172 and occupancy was 54.5%, producing a RevPAR of $93. Average monthly revenue per listing was $2,522. Year-over-year, occupancy gained 1.3 percentage points, revenue increased 4.6%, and ADR was essentially flat at -0.2%. The trend is modestly positive.
Critical context: Covington’s municipal STR ordinance limits permits to properties inside the city’s historic downtown district only. Listings tracked in the broader market area data may include properties in unincorporated St. Tammany Parish under different rules.
Listing type is dominated by entire-place rentals (5,814 of 6,360 listings, or 91%), with private rooms at 559 and shared rooms negligible at 2. By bedroom count, 3-bedroom units lead at 2,010, followed by 1-bedroom (1,794), 2-bedroom (1,647), 4-bedroom (704), and 5-bedroom-plus (205). Channel distribution shows Airbnb at 3,486 Airbnb-only listings, 2,399 dual-listed, and 490 VRBO-only.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40% | $129 | $1,572 |
| Feb | 51% | $139 | $1,739 |
| Mar | 54% | $155 | $2,303 |
| Apr | 51% | $162 | $2,248 |
| May | 52% | $173 | $2,417 |
| Jun | 55% | $190 | $2,787 |
| Jul | 53% | $184 | $2,737 |
| Aug | 45% | $168 | $2,170 |
| Sep | 48% | $157 | $2,017 |
| Oct | 51% | $159 | $2,203 |
| Nov | 48% | $157 | $2,052 |
| Dec | 45% | $149 | $1,977 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Covington
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 115 | 2,902 | ★ 4.69 |
| 2 | Coastal Realty | 53 | 353 | ★ 4.40 |
| 3 | Island Realty Real Estate and Rentals | 52 | 955 | ★ 4.79 |
| 4 | David | 44 | 2,868 | ★ 4.80 |
| 5 | Kay Property Management | 40 | 1,910 | ★ 4.64 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Covington?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,794 |
| 2 bed | 1,647 |
| 3 bed | 2,010 |
| 4 bed | 704 |
| 5 bed | 205 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $196 |
| Luxury | $380 |
| Professionally Managed | $288 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,936 |
| Entire Place | $3,160 |
| House | $3,256 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 54.7% |
| vrbo | 7.7% |
| both | 37.6% |
Investment Analysis
Covington’s investment case is shaped by two countervailing forces: a strong market score (89.8) driven by near-perfect seasonality consistency (93.8) and high investability (94.2), and a regulatory framework that restricts legal STR operations to the historic downtown district under city ordinance.
The typical home value is $322,261 as of April 2026. Using April 2026 monthly revenue of $2,522, annualized revenue of approximately $30,264 implies a gross yield of roughly 9.4% relative to typical home value. That yield figure is only meaningful if the specific property being acquired is located within the eligible historic district zone.
Revenue by property type shows houses averaging $2,707/month and entire-place units averaging $2,640/month, both materially above the $1,785/month apartment average. Professionally managed listings command an ADR of $221 versus the market average of $172, a 28% premium and one of the largest professional management premiums in this dataset. Luxury-tier listings reach $336/night.
The regulation score is 59.95, the lowest of the five markets in this batch, reflecting the geographic restriction and moderate enforcement. The sale-to-list ratio is 0.848, indicating homes in the area typically sell at a discount to list price, which is favorable for acquisition but also signals softer housing demand.
Investors must confirm that any specific address falls within Covington’s eligible historic downtown STR zone before purchase. Residential-only neighborhoods in the city are explicitly excluded from permits. The $500 permit fee is modest, but the geographic gate is non-negotiable.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Covington guests book an average of 40 days in advance as of April 2026, a moderate lead time consistent with a regional leisure and event-driven market. The 40-day window gives operators roughly 5 to 6 weeks to hold rates before considering dynamic pricing adjustments for unsold inventory.
At 4.41 nights, Covington has the longest average length of stay among the five markets in this batch. Stays approaching 4.5 nights indicate guests are extending well beyond a standard weekend, likely reflecting the destination’s appeal for multi-day New Orleans-area escapes, Northshore outdoor itineraries, or event-anchored visits. Longer stays mean fewer turnovers per month, which reduces per-stay cleaning costs.
At 54.5% occupancy over approximately 30 days, an average listing hosts roughly 3 to 4 stays per month at the 4.4-night average. Operators who can accommodate flexible mid-week arrivals and longer minimum stays may capture better yield on this demand profile. The combination of long stays and moderate lead time also means last-minute inventory is typically limited, which supports holding rates closer to check-in than in shorter-stay markets.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Covington was the first city on Louisiana’s Northshore to regulate short-term rentals, adopting Ordinance 2018-29 on November 20, 2018. The ordinance allows STRs but restricts them geographically to the city’s historic downtown district. STRs are not permitted in residential-only neighborhoods.
Operators must obtain a city STR permit with a $500 registration fee per property. Owner occupancy is not required, but operators must designate a responsible party who can respond to complaints within 30 minutes. Each permit allows up to four rooms rented, with a maximum of two occupants per room. Properties must meet parking and inspection requirements and observe quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
The applicable occupancy tax is 3% (St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission). An additional $1.00-per-room-per-night Harbor Center District fee may apply within that specific district. Louisiana state sales tax and St. Tammany Parish local sales tax also apply; Airbnb collects several of these automatically.
There is no owner-occupancy or primary residence requirement, and no annual night cap was found in the ordinance.
The binding constraint for investors is geographic: properties outside the eligible historic downtown district cannot be legally permitted as STRs under city rules. The $500 permit fee renewal cadence is listed as ‘other’ in our data (not a standard annual renewal); operators should confirm renewal terms directly with the city.
Note: some national news coverage of ‘Covington STR changes’ refers to Covington, Kentucky (June 2024 streamlining). Investors should verify any cited recent change applies specifically to Covington, Louisiana.
Market Comparison
Covington’s April 2026 ADR of $172 is below the U.S. STR median of approximately $220, consistent with a smaller regional market. Occupancy at 54.5% is roughly in line with the national median of approximately 55%. Revenue performance of $2,522/month is moderate, supported by the market’s consistency rather than a single dominant peak season.
The market’s overall score of 89.8 is the highest of the five markets in this batch, driven by investability (94.2) and seasonality (93.8). Revenue growth scores 63.7 and regulation scores 60.0, the latter reflecting geographic permitting restrictions.
Evolve leads the professional management segment with 115 listings and 2,902 reviews at a 4.7-star average. Coastal Realty follows with 53 listings and 353 reviews at a 4.4-star rating. Island Realty Real Estate and Rentals holds 52 listings with 955 reviews at a 4.8-star rating. Together these three operators manage approximately 220 listings, or roughly 3% of the estimated 6,360 total active listings in the broader market area. That low penetration rate reflects in part the geographic restriction that limits city-permitted STRs to the historic district.
The typical home value of $322,261 is higher than Covington KY ($222,119) and Covington GA ($294,155) but below larger coastal STR markets. The median days to pending of 29 indicates a reasonably active housing market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Covington, Louisiana
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