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HomeShort-Term Rental LawsArkansasHot Springs

Local guide

Hot Springs short-term rental rules

Hot Springs requires a calendar-year short-term rental license. Residential properties face a 400-license cap without a waitlist, while non-residential applications follow a different path; the city’s lodging and sales-tax stack is separate from the annual STR fee.

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Compliance layers

A Clear Answer, Then a Path Forward.

Critical Finding

See whether the property can operate now, what blocks it, and which exception may apply.

Address Context

Confirm zoning, current land use, jurisdiction, and the rules that actually govern the address.

Required Approvals

Get the permits, licenses, documents, inspections, and tax registrations needed before launch.

Recommended Path

Follow prioritized next steps, deadlines, renewal duties, and viable alternatives when rules change.

Occupancy tax calculator

Estimate occupancy tax in Hot Springs

Enter the nightly rate and stay length to estimate the lodging taxes and guest total for this jurisdiction.

Gross rent$150.00 × 3 nights
$450.00
Arkansas state sales tax on city-limit lodging consideration (6.5%) $450.00 × 6.5%
$29.25
City of Hot Springs sales tax on city-limit lodging consideration (1.5%) $450.00 × 1.5%
$6.75
Garland County sales tax on city-limit lodging consideration (1.5%) $450.00 × 1.5%
$6.75
Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion lodging tax (3%) $450.00 × 3%
$13.50
Arkansas tourism tax on lodging (2%) $450.00 × 2%
$9.00
Estimated taxes and fees
$65.25

Guest pays

$515.25

Assumptions used

  • Modeled lodging scope: City of Hot Springs city limits; the modeled room-charge base includes the 9.5% general city-limit stack, the 3% city lodging A&P tax, and the 2% state lodging tourism tax.

What may change the final amount

  • STR license and property eligibility are separate. The calendar-year STR license, residential cap, non-residential path, conditional certificate-of-occupancy inspection, and annual fee affect whether and how the property may operate, but are not transaction-tax lines in this calculator.
Open the full occupancy tax calculator

Estimated tax is $65.25. Estimated guest total is $515.25.

Estimate only. Verify the property jurisdiction, exemptions, taxable charges, filing duties, and marketplace collection with the linked official sources.

Hot Springs STR eligibility and first action

Get the City of Hot Springs calendar-year STR license before operating. First resolve whether the property is on the residential or non-residential path: residential licenses are capped at 400 with no current waitlist, while non-residential applications follow a separate route.

The city also distinguishes a conditional certificate-of-occupancy inspection when occupancy has changed. The annual STR fee is $50 per authorized overnight occupant with a $200 minimum, and it remains separate from transaction-tax arithmetic.

For an ordinary city-limit stay, the calculator includes the 9.5% general sales stack, 3% A&P lodging tax, and 2% state tourism tax on the room-charge base.

Hot Springs zoning and occupancy boundary

City boundary
9.5% general sales stack applies in Hot Springs city limits.State 6.5% + city 1.5% + Garland County 1.5%.
Lodging-specific taxes
3% city A&P plus 2% state tourism tax.Both official sources identify lodging as the taxable activity.
Annual STR fee
$50 per person based on maximum overnight occupancy, minimum $200.This is an operating/registration fee, not a transaction tax.

Hot Springs permit, registration, and documents

  • Confirm the property is inside Hot Springs city limits

    Apply the modeled city tax stack only after confirming that the property falls within the incorporated Hot Springs boundary.

    Required

  • Complete annual STR registration and city licensing

    Follow the city STR information and ordinance requirements before accepting guests.

    Required

  • Separate the annual STR fee from guest tax accounting

    Do not enter the annual registration fee as a nightly or percentage tax.

    Required

Hot Springs lodging taxes and filing path

The calculator estimates the sourced Hot Springs city-limit stack: 6.5% state + 1.5% city + 1.5% Garland County + 3% A&P + 2% state tourism.

The city’s finance page explicitly identifies lodging as subject to the 3% A&P and 2% state tourism taxes; the city-limit 9.5% sales stack is shown separately.

The $200 minimum annual STR fee is excluded from the estimate because it is a registration/operating charge, not a tax on the stay.

Hot Springs operating and enforcement controls

  1. Resolve the city-limit boundary

    Do not apply the city-limit tax stack until the property’s Hot Springs boundary status is resolved.

  2. Register the STR for the calendar year

    Use the city STR information and ordinance to complete the registration and fee steps.

  3. Maintain separate tax and license records

    Retain the guest-charge tax records and the annual registration/fee records as separate items.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

No. It is an annual registration/operating fee based on occupancy, not a tax imposed on each stay.

It includes the city-limit sales stack plus the city A&P and state tourism lodging taxes for the under-30-night scenario.

Do not use this city profile until the boundary is resolved. The modeled 9.5% general stack and 3% city A&P component are scoped to Hot Springs city limits.