Do I Need a Permit to Run an Airbnb in Sheridan, Wyoming?

What the City of Sheridan actually requires today

Sheridan treats short-term rentals as a home-based business use within residential zoning, not as a separately licensed category with its own ordinance. In practice that means:

• Standard zoning, building code, and fire/life-safety compliance, the same baseline any home-based business in a residential zone would need
• One STR per property (the city does not currently allow stacking multiple STR operations on a single property)
• For properties with an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), the owner must occupy one of the two units (the primary residence or the ADU) to operate an STR in the other
• A building permit and certificate of occupancy where an ADU is involved
• STR-specific insurance coverage

Source: STR Profit Map — Sheridan, WY short-term rental regulations guide.

What Sheridan County requires

As of the most recent confirmation, Sheridan County has no separate county-wide short-term rental ordinance layered on top of the city's rules. Operators follow the applicable city zoning rules (inside city limits) plus statewide tax registration — there is not a second, county-level permitting step to clear in addition.

The tax registration step people miss

Zoning compliance is only half of it. Every STR operator also needs to register with the Wyoming Department of Revenue to collect and remit the two taxes that apply to short-term stays: the 6% combined sales tax and the 5% combined lodging tax (see our dedicated page on Wyoming's lodging tax for the full breakdown). This registration is a state requirement, independent of city zoning approval, and it applies whether the property is self-managed or professionally managed.

Why "no dedicated ordinance" doesn't mean "no rules"

The absence of an STR-specific ordinance is sometimes read by owners as "no rules apply." That's not accurate — it means STRs fall under the general home-based-business and zoning framework that already governs the property, rather than a separate purpose-built STR code. The building, fire, and zoning compliance obligations are the same ones the city already enforces; an STR just has to meet them like any other home-based use.

What to ask a prospective manager

Ask directly whether they've confirmed your specific property's zoning classification, whether an ADU triggers the owner-occupancy requirement, and who is responsible for state tax registration and ongoing remittance. A licensed Wyoming brokerage handling this as part of onboarding is standard practice, not an add-on.