Cedar City, Utah

Short-term rentals are legal in Cedar City and require a Residential Short-Term Rental Business License under Chapter 23, Section 23-9 of the city ordinances. The license renews annually on January 1. No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement applies, and there is no cap on nights per year, making this relatively permissive for Utah.

Application requirements include: proof of liability insurance, a Utah lodging sales-tax number, an off-street parking diagram showing at minimum 9-by-18-foot stalls, designation of a local property representative reachable within 24 hours for neighbor complaints, and certifications on smoke and carbon monoxide detector installation. Before licensing, the City Building Official conducts an on-site inspection to verify parking. Applicants must notify all property owners within a 300-foot radius by mail or hand-delivery. Maximum occupancy is 2 guests per bedroom plus 4 per property. No outdoor advertising signage is permitted. STRs are not allowed where an HOA or CC&Rs prohibit their operation.

On taxes, lodging stays are subject to Utah’s transient room tax stack. The occupancy tax rate in the data is 4.57%, reflecting Iron County’s county TRT (4.25%, at the statutory maximum) plus a Cedar City municipal TRT component. This stacks on top of the combined state and local sales tax that applies to short-term lodging. Operators must register for Utah’s transient room tax independently. The permit fee was not available in the data record; the comparable Rental Dwelling Business License on the city’s fee schedule is approximately $40 per year, though operators should confirm the current STR license fee directly with Cedar City.

Note: Iron County’s county TRT ceiling was raised from 4.25% to 4.5% effective July 1, 2025 under Utah HB456. Operators should verify the current combined rate with the city or county.