Short Term Rental Management in Belgrade, Montana

We manage short term rentals in Belgrade and Bozeman, and Belgrade is where a good share of our work happens. Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport sits inside Belgrade city limits, which means many Gallatin Valley guests land ten minutes from your front door.

Belgrade has its own rules, and they are not Bozeman's

This is the thing most owners get wrong. The City of Bozeman short term rental ordinance stops at the Bozeman city limits. Belgrade adopted its own on July 17, 2023, under Ordinance 2023-7, and it lives in the city code at section 10-3-47.

What Belgrade requires: a city short term rental permit, a separate city short term rental license under the business licensing title, and registration with the Montana Department of Revenue. Short term rentals are allowed in residential and mixed use districts, in residential units. Recreational vehicles cannot be used as short term rentals. The ordinance defines a short term rental as a stay of less than 30 days.

Worth knowing what the ordinance does not say. There is no owner occupancy requirement and no cap on the number of permits, which is a meaningfully lighter regime than Bozeman's Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 structure. Fees are set by the city rather than written into the code, so confirm the current amount before you budget.

The state requirements underneath all of it

Every Montana short term rental owes the state lodging taxes: a 4 percent lodging facility use tax plus a 4 percent lodging facility sales tax, 8 percent combined, filed quarterly. Airbnb and Vrbo collect and remit for bookings made through them. You remain responsible for anything booked directly.

You also need a Montana public accommodation license for what the state calls a tourist home. It is issued by the Department of Public Health and Human Services, but you apply through the Gallatin City County Health Department, which does the plan review and the pre opening inspection. Note the threshold difference that catches people: Belgrade's zoning definition uses 30 days, while the state health license uses 28.

Belgrade is not a resort tax community. Unlike Big Sky or West Yellowstone, there is no extra local percentage stacked on top.

The property tax change that changed the math

Montana's 2025 property tax reform created a reduced rate for primary residences and for long term rentals. A long term rental has to be rented in blocks of 28 days or more, for seven months or more a year, as the tenant's residence. A short term rental cannot meet that test, so it qualifies for neither reduced rate. If you are underwriting a Belgrade property, that belongs in your model.

Why Belgrade works

Belgrade grew roughly 25 percent between the 2020 census and the 2025 population estimate, from 10,460 to 13,107. It sits about ten miles from Bozeman, it holds the airport, and it prices below Bozeman, which means a lower entry cost drawing from the same pool of guests flying into BZN.

What we do, and what it costs

Dynamic nightly pricing, listings on Airbnb and Vrbo, guest communication around the clock, professional turnovers, maintenance, permit filing and renewal, and a monthly statement showing every reservation and your net. We charge a percentage of the nightly rate. Cleaning is charged to the guest. Consumables are billed at cost with no markup. Owners are paid by the 10th of every month.

Our cleaners and handymen are Gallatin Valley locals, so a problem in Belgrade at 9pm on a Saturday is handled by someone fifteen minutes away.

There is no long term commitment. The agreement runs month to month rather than on a fixed one or two year term, and either side can end it with 90 days written notice. That window exists so guests who already hold a reservation are not disrupted, and so your listings, calendar and reviews hand back in good order.

Talk to us

Call or text (406) 570-1155 or email Info@BozemanBnB.com and we will tell you what your Belgrade property should be earning. BozemanBnB, 2078 Stadium Dr Suite 102, Bozeman, MT 59715.

Regulations on this page were verified against the Belgrade city code and the Montana Department of Revenue on September 3, 2026. Rules change. Confirm current requirements with the City of Belgrade before you rely on this.