BNB Hot / Market check
Market check
Hot Springs STR market check, fall 2026
The changes that matter to Hot Springs hosts right now, each with a source you can check. We only publish numbers we can verify.
What changed this year
- Residential licenses are capped and full. The City of Hot Springs caps short-term rental licenses in residential zones at 400. As of its July 1, 2025 update, new residential-zone licenses are not available and there is no waitlist.
- Non-residential zones are still open. The city is accepting applications in non-residential zones (C-TR, CN, CMU, CG, CBD, IL, IH and IMU). HPR-zoned properties and condos recorded before January 18, 2022 are exempt from the cap.
- Airbnb moved to one host fee. Airbnb now charges most hosts a single 15.5% service fee instead of splitting fees between host and guest. Guests see the price you set.
- Vrbo raises its commission on October 29, 2026. Vrbo is moving hosts to a flat 12% commission, replacing the roughly 8% pay-per-booking fee and the legacy annual subscription.
- No state takeover of local rules. Two 2025 bills that would have limited how Arkansas cities regulate short-term rentals (HB1445 and HB1790) died when the session ended, so the city's rules stand.
Demand calendar to plan around
| Event | Dates | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival | Oct. 9 to 17, 2026 | Nine days of screenings downtown, with a filmmaker forum Oct. 12 and 13. |
| Oaklawn live racing season | Nov. 27, 2026 to May 1, 2027 | The earliest opening in the track's history, so weekend demand starts before Thanksgiving this year. |
| Hot Springs National Park | Year-round | The park recorded 2,494,611 recreation visits in 2025 and charges no entrance fee. |
Event dates change from year to year. Check each organizer's calendar before you set seasonal rates.
Taxes a guest pays on a stay inside city limits
| Tax | Rate |
|---|---|
| Arkansas state sales (gross receipts) tax | 6.5% |
| Arkansas tourism tax | 2% |
| Garland County sales tax | 1.5% |
| Hot Springs city sales tax | 1.5% |
| Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion (A&P) tax | 3% |
That adds up to 14.5% on stays of 29 nights or fewer booked through Airbnb, which collects and remits these taxes for Hot Springs listings. Hosts still have to register with the A&P Commission and file a monthly A&P report, even when every booking came through a platform.
Where to get current numbers
We stopped publishing monthly occupancy and nightly-rate figures because we could not verify them. If you need market data for a purchase or a pricing decision, go to the source and note the date of what you are reading.
City STR page
License status, cap updates, zoning and complaint lines.
AirDNA
Paid market data on occupancy, average daily rate and revenue by area.
Home sale prices
Redfin and Zillow publish monthly median sale prices for Hot Springs.
Your own comps
Search Airbnb and Vrbo for your dates and bedroom count. Booked-out calendars tell you more than averages.
Get the next market check
We update this page when rules, fees or the calendar change. Leave your email and we will send the next one.
Sources
- City of Hot Springs: Short-term residential rentals
- Airbnb: Simplifying service fees
- Skift: Vrbo to double commissions (Sept. 29, 2026)
- Arkansas Advocates: 2025 preemption bills
- Rent Responsibly: 2025 state STR bills
- Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
- Oaklawn racing calendar
- Horse Racing Nation: Oaklawn 2026-27 earliest opening
- NWA Homepage: Arkansas national park visitation 2025
- NPS: Hot Springs fees and passes
- Airbnb: Occupancy tax collection in Arkansas
- Avalara: Hot Springs sales tax rate
- City of Hot Springs A&P tax FAQ
Questions about short-term rentals in Hot Springs?
Call or text 501.365.1001, or send a note and we will get back to you.