When property owners in Anchorage list a space for short-term rental, such as with a service like Airbnb, the municipality wants to know about it. The Anchorage Assembly approved an ordinance in December requiring registration of short-term rentals. As of May 1, operators will have until August 1 to register; after that, penalties may be imposed for non-registration or for failure to display a registration number in listings that advertise an Anchorage-based short-term rental.
Gap in Housing Code
Three assembly members introduced the ordinance, AO 2025-115(S-2), along with mayor Suzanne LaFrance, to update a previous and longstanding city permit for bed and breakfasts, which required a $145 annual fee and various safety attestations.
“There was no mention of short-term rentals in Title 21, which means that technically it was not an allowable use in residential zones,” says Erin Baldwin Day, who represents District 4 in Midtown. “Things are only affirmatively possible in zoning.”
In addition to patching a gap in Anchorage housing code, Baldwin Day says the ordinance simply gives the municipality better information about short-term rental activity. Baldwin Day introduced the ordinance alongside Assembly Members Zac Johnson (South Anchorage) and Daniel Volland (Downtown). It passed 10-2 at the December 16, 2025 meeting…