Short-Term Rentals in Hubbard County, MN: 2022 Rules

Hubbard County's lake cabin rental market -- Airbnbs, VRBOs, and resort cabins across its many lakes near Park Rapids -- grew fast enough (from roughly 40 listings in 2014 to 70 by 2016) that the county board stepped in directly. Since 2022, any short-term rental within 1,000 feet of a classified lake or 500 feet of a classified river or stream needs an annual license from the county's Environmental Services Office, with occupancy limits tied to the property's own septic system capacity -- a rule most other lakes counties don't apply this specifically.

This page covers what's specific to Hubbard County. For the general explanation, see the national guide.

A county-administered license, triggered by shoreland location

Unlike many Minnesota counties where short-term rental regulation (if it exists at all) is a city-by-city matter, Hubbard County's rule is a genuine county ordinance, adopted in 2022 as an amendment to the county's Shoreland Management Ordinance No. 17. The trigger is location, not just the fact of renting: the license requirement applies specifically to waterfront properties within 1,000 feet of a classified lake or within 500 feet of a classified river or stream -- the same distances that define the county's shoreland zoning district generally, described on the county hub. A cabin, house, or resort unit sitting outside those distances is not currently subject to this specific licensing requirement, though it may still be subject to other county or state rules. For a buyer evaluating a specific property's short-term rental potential, the first question is simply whether it falls inside the shoreland zone at all.

No short-term rental may legally operate in the covered zone without a valid annual license obtained from the Hubbard County Environmental Services Office (ESO), and county materials specify that a separate license is required for each individual rental unit on a lot -- relevant for a resort property or a lot with more than one rentable cabin, where each unit needs its own license rather than one blanket license covering the whole property. The license must be renewed each year and obtained before May 1, timed to be in place ahead of the summer rental season that drives most of the county's short-term rental demand.

Occupancy tied to septic capacity, plus parking and quiet-hours standards

The most distinctive substantive rule in Hubbard County's ordinance ties maximum overnight guest occupancy directly to the property's septic system design capacity: no more than one overnight guest for every 75 gallons per day of wastewater flow the structure's septic system is designed to handle. This is a genuinely local, technical standard that a buyer needs a specific number for -- the property's septic system design flow, from its as-built permit or a current inspection -- rather than a rule that can be estimated from bedroom count or square footage alone. A property with an undersized or aging septic system, even a large one, may have a lower legal short-term rental occupancy cap than its bedroom count would suggest, which is worth checking before assuming a specific nightly rate and guest count are both achievable and compliant.

Beyond occupancy, the license also requires the owner to keep a current local contact person on file with the ESO -- name, phone number, and email -- who can respond to questions or complaints about the rental's operation, and the ordinance sets parking restrictions and quiet hours that a short-term rental operator must follow. License growth has been rapid since adoption: the county issued 72 waterfront short-term rental licenses in the program's first year (2022) and 85 in 2023, with reporting indicating licenses peaked in 2024 -- worth knowing both as a market-demand signal for a prospective short-term rental buyer and as a sign that the county board may continue to revisit and tighten the ordinance as the market evolves. Confirm the current license count, fee, and any amendments adopted since 2024 directly with the Environmental Services Office before purchasing a property specifically for short-term rental income.

Short-Term Rentals in Hubbard County, Minnesota

A county-administered license, triggered by shoreland location

Occupancy tied to septic capacity, plus parking and quiet-hours standards

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