Anchorage, Alaska, requires short-term rental operators to register properties

Short-term rental (STR) operators in Anchorage, Alaska, will be required to register with the city under a new law.

The ordinance defines STRs as lodging “offered for overnight occupancy in exchange for a fee” that’s available for rent for fewer than 30 consecutive days. Registration is free and will be available through a city portal that opens May 1, 2026. 

Operators must enter information that includes the owner’s name, address, type of unit, whether the owner lives on-site, when the unit is rented on a short-term basis, and whether any short-term renters have also rented the property on a long-term basis. STR operators must also designate a local contact responsible for the STR.

Once operators receive their registration number, they must include it in any advertisements for their STR. Operators who haven’t registered their properties by August 1, 2026, can be fined $75. The law prevents STR marketplaces, such as Airbnb and Vrbo, from collecting fees from properties without a registration number.

Previously, STRs weren’t mentioned in the city’s land use code, so technically, they weren’t an allowable use in residential zones. Along with requiring registration, the ordinance explicitly allows STRs in all residential zoning districts and some commercial districts. 

The new requirements also offer the city more information about STR activity. “You can’t really make an informed decision in the absence of information. There’s been a lot of [discussion] about the penetration and the volume of short-term rentals in Anchorage, but not a lot of good data,” said Bill Falsey, the city’s chief administrative officer. 

The Anchorage Assembly passed a similar ordinance in 2024, but then-Mayor Dave Bronson vetoed it. That law would have required a $400 permit fee for non-owner-occupied STRs and a $50 fee for owner-occupied STRs.

Juneau has had similar STR registration requirements since 2023, with a penalty of $100 per day for live listings that aren’t registered. The data collected by the city so far shows that around 13% of STR owners live out of state and the greatest concentration of STRs are near the airport and the Mendenhall Valley neighborhood.

Both Anchorage and Juneau STRs have local lodging tax requirements. In Anchorage, room tax applies to STRs, while Juneau STRs are subject to sales tax and hotel room tax. In both cities, STR marketplaces such as Airbnb and Vrbo are required to collect lodging taxes for properties listed on their sites. Operators who offer rentals outside of a marketplace are responsible for registering with tax authorities, collecting lodging taxes from guests, and remitting them to the city.

Avalara helps simplify tax and compliance for the hospitality industry through automation. With Avalara MyLodgeTax, STR owners and property managers can register with tax authorities, calculate lodging taxes, prepare and file returns, and remit payment. Avalara is trusted by 200,000+ direct and indirect customers in 75+ countries.

For more on lodging taxes in Alaska, see our state vacation rental tax guide. If you have tax questions related to vacation rental properties, drop us a line and we’ll get back to you with answers.