Stillwater adopts new short-term rental rules with owner-occupied exemption; fee vote deferred

A 20 percent block-level density cap survives, with a homestead exemption and six-month review added at the last meeting

Chris Peters

Jun 18, 2026 - 5 min read

A map presented to the Stillwater City Council on May 4, 2026, shows 167 active short-term rental licenses as green markers across the city, with the heaviest concentration in neighborhoods surrounding Oklahoma State University's campus. The council adopted a new short-term rental ordinance June 15 capping licenses in single-family districts at 20 percent of dwelling units per block.

Stillwater adopts new short-term rental rules with owner-occupied exemption; fee vote deferred — A map presented to the Stillwater City Council on May 4, 2026, shows 167 active short-term rental licenses as green markers across the city, with the heaviest concentration in neighborhoods surrounding Oklahoma State University's campus. The council adopted a new short-term rental ordinance June 15 capping licenses in single-family districts at 20 percent of dwelling units per block.

The Stillwater City Council adopted a comprehensive rewrite of the city's short-term rental licensing code Monday night, capping rentals in single-family neighborhoods while adding a homestead exemption that shields owner-occupied properties from the density limit. A companion resolution that would have set a $250 annual license fee was pulled from the agenda and deferred to a future meeting.

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