The Anchorage Assembly yesterday approved an ordinance proposed by Mayor Suzanne LaFrance and Assembly Members Erin Baldwin Day, Zac Johnson, and Daniel Volland that will require short-term rentals (STRs) in the Municipality of Anchorage to be registered by July 31, 2026.

The ordinance, AO 2025-115(S-2), enables the Municipality to gather essential, localized information on the number of short-term rentals operating in the Municipality. This data is critical for informing future policy decisions, especially given the community’s ongoing housing needs. Registration will be simple, free, and online.

“Anchorage has a serious housing shortage, and it’s clear that short-term rentals are impacting the housing market, especially in Girdwood, but we need better data,” said Mayor Suzanne LaFrance. “This registry will give us the information we need to measure the true impact of short-term rentals across our communities.”
 

Under the new ordinance, property owners who rent out their properties for fewer than 30 consecutive days will be required to register with the Municipality. This includes houses, apartments, condos, bedrooms, or other living units rented out nightly or weekly through platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo.

Owners of short-term rentals will be required to share basic information about their properties, including:

The data will help Municipal officials develop a better understanding of local short-term rental trends, how they vary from one area of the Municipality to another, and their impact on local housing markets. The registration requirement will also ensure the Municipality has contact information in case a problem arises at a rented property.