The City of New Orleans has announced the schedule for its upcoming Non-Commercial Short Term Rental (NSTR) Lottery and mandatory training sessions. The NSTR Lottery is set for April 14, 2026, with the application window open from March 8 to March 14, 2026. Applicants can attend office hours between March 9 and March 13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 1340 Poydras St on the eighth floor.
Training required for prospective NSTR license applicants will be conducted via TEAMS on March 2, 3, and 6, 2026. Registration links are available through the city’s website. According to city officials: “If you are applying for an NSTR License during the next application period (March 8-14), you MUST attend one of these trainings.” The announcement also clarifies that current license holders whose licenses expire on June 30, 2026 do not need to participate in this round of training or reapply.
The city emphasized that both owners and operator applicants must complete training before submitting their applications.
A map provided by the city identifies eligible properties for non-commercial short term rental licenses. This map shows open squares as well as properties with issued Bed & Breakfast or NSTR licenses and those with filed Special Exception applications. The data is updated nightly to maintain accuracy.
Since September 19, 2024, the Special Exception process has been discontinued. As a result, any property marked pink on the eligibility map is not eligible for participation in the upcoming lottery. The city advises: “If you have any questions related to the information presented in this map, please contact the STR Administration at str@nola.gov.”
Residents seeking further information about zoning or district details can use online tools provided by the city.
For additional questions before scheduled training dates or regarding eligibility criteria, applicants are encouraged to contact the city’s STR Administration office directly.