Moab, Utah Short-Term Rental Market
Moab restricts new short-term rentals, while September 2026 ADR was $324, occupancy 71.0% and monthly revenue $6,065.
Quick Answer: Moab, Utah is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 71%. average monthly revenue is $6,065. average daily rate is $324. the top operator in Moab is Moab Loding Vacation Rentals with 82 listings. market score is 53/100 (grade D).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Moab is the gateway town to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, and its short-term rental market reflects that pull. Before any investment math, note the regulatory backdrop: new residential short-term rentals are prohibited in nearly all zones, so existing supply is largely licensed or grandfathered. This page uses data through September 2026, the most recent month available. In September 2026 the average daily rate across all listings was $324 and occupancy was 71.0%, producing average monthly revenue of $6,065 per listing. Compared with September 2025, occupancy rose 9.6%, ADR fell 4.1%, and revenue rose 12.4%. The Moab area STR market tracks 1,625 listings. Entire places account for 1,538 of them and private rooms for 87. By bedroom count, 3 bedroom homes are the largest group at 594 listings, followed by 1 bedroom units at 510, 2 bedroom units at 290, 4 bedroom homes at 120, and 5 bedroom homes at 106. By channel, 1,025 listings appear on both Airbnb and Vrbo, 495 on Airbnb only, and 105 on Vrbo only. Demand is anchored by visitation. The four Southeast Utah Group national parks recorded about 2.4 million visitors in 2023, while Moab has roughly 5,242 residents, so tourism is the dominant economic driver. Visitors are mostly domestic road-trippers on Utah’s Mighty Five circuit, mountain bikers, off-road enthusiasts, rafters, and hikers. Spring and fall are the peak seasons. Market scores show rental demand at 89.6 out of 100 but seasonality at 43.3, a reminder that winter months are far weaker than the shoulder seasons.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 29% |
| Feb | 42% |
| Mar | 71% |
| Apr | 73% |
| May | 70% |
| Jun | 63% |
| Jul | 52% |
| Aug | 47% |
| Sep | 67% |
| Oct | 69% |
| Nov | 51% |
| Dec | 34% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Moab are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Moab
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moab Loding Vacation Rentals | 82 | 22,079 | ★ 4.76 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 77 | 13,040 | ★ 4.63 |
| 3 | Tyler Winger | 73 | 10,830 | ★ 4.82 |
| 4 | Vacation Rental Collective | 69 | 3,974 | ★ 4.84 |
| 5 | Jacob Hansen | 64 | 1,641 | ★ 4.83 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Moab?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Moab 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 | 30.5% |
| vrbo | 6.5% |
| both | 63.1% |
Home Value Trends (Moab)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Moab 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 Moab — 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
Moab is one of the most restrictive STR markets in Utah, and enforcement is rated strict. Short-term rentals are permitted only in a narrow sense: a residential short-term rental (occupancy of 30 consecutive days or less for compensation) is prohibited in nearly all residential and most commercial zones, including A-2, C-1, C-3, C-5, FW, I-1, R&D-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, and RA-1, and in any zone that does not list STR as a permitted use. Legal nightly rentals are generally limited to designated resort or overnight-accommodations zones, purpose-built projects, or grandfathered pre-existing operations. Limited exceptions exist for bed-and-breakfast facilities and guest apartments that meet code. A moratorium blocks new construction intended for short-term rental use. A nightly rental or overnight accommodations business license is required and must be renewed annually. The permit fee is not published. Hosts must carry insurance, provide a site plan and a local contact, supply off-street guest parking, and meet fire, building, and safety codes. Licensing can take roughly 3 days to 6 weeks. Operating without a license is a Class A misdemeanor and can bring fines and license revocation. A 2017 Utah state law (Utah Code 17-50-338) limits how cities act on online listings and generally requires a complaint before enforcement. The combined lodging tax is about 14.82% within Moab city. Grand County’s transient room tax rose from 4.25% to 4.5% on October 1, 2025 under Utah HB456, and Moab has repeatedly extended its moratorium and adopted tighter overnight-accommodations ordinances (for example Ord. 2024-03). Unless a property is grandfathered or in an eligible zone, new STR investment is largely not viable.
Market Comparison
Moab posted strong results in September 2026, with occupancy of 71.0% and an ADR of $324. Even professionally managed listings at $375 and luxury listings at $510 sit well above the all-listings rate. Annual figures tell a more measured story. The 2026 year-to-date occupancy is 57.3%, and the January trough of 29.1% and August dip of 47.4% show that the September result partly reflects seasonality. Rate strength is visible in the annual data as well, with the 2026 year-to-date ADR at $285. Competition is concentrated among a handful of operators. Moab Loding Vacation Rentals leads with 82 listings and a 4.763 rating, followed by Vacasa with 77 listings (4.633), Tyler Winger with 73 (4.824), Vacation Rental Collective with 69 (4.836), and Jacob Hansen with 64 (4.831). The top five together manage 365 listings, which is a significant share of the 1,625 tracked in the Moab area STR market. Combined with strict regulation, this makes the market difficult to enter but well supported by demand.
Frequently Asked Questions About Moab, Utah
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