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City of Duluth accepting letters of intent for vacation dwelling unit permits

By Kelli Latuska

The City of Duluth’s Planning and Development Division is taking Letters of Intent (LOI) to apply for a waiting list for Vacation Dwelling Interim Use Permits beginning Friday, May 24, and ending Friday, June 14, 2024.

The waiting list will be used to allocate future vacation rental permits as they become available. Individuals still remaining on the 2021 eligibility list will be added to the beginning of this waiting list.

The City of Duluth currently limits the number of vacation dwelling unit permits to 100.

Person(s) intending to submit an LOI for Interim Use Permit should provide the following information on the LOI form below.

1. Name, mailing address, email address, and phone number

2. Address of the proposed location of the vacation dwelling unit. Note that applicants must already own the property proposed for a vacation dwelling unit. Changes of address and/or ownership changes are not allowed.

3. Affirm that they have reviewed and understand the following information:

The Letter of Intent may be delivered in person, or mailed to:

City of Duluth Planning and Development Division

411 W. First Street, Room 160

Duluth, MN 55802

Attn: Ryan Pervenanze, Manager

Letters of Intent will NOT be accepted after 4:00 pm on Friday, June 14. The City will hold a random drawing from submitted LOIs on Friday, June 21, 2024 at 10:00 am to select the order on the resulting waiting list. This drawing will be held on Facebook Live via the City of Duluth’s Facebook page. People wishing to engage with the live drawing can access the City’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064454631259.

Once a party receives notification of an available permit, a complete application must be submitted to the City of Duluth within 60 days. After 60 days, the permit spot will go to the next party on the waiting list. Only the person(s) listed on the LOI will be able to submit an application.

If a property owner wants to rent out their entire property without being present while it is rented, they need a Vacation Dwelling Unit Interim Use Permit. This type of permit generally requires guests to stay for a minimum of two nights and rent for up to 29 days. Permits require subsequent inspection and permitting from the Duluth Fire Department’s Life Safety Division and the Construction Services and Inspections Division to ensure they meet fire and building codes.

If you have any questions on this process, please send them to planning@duluthmn.gov.

-- City of Duluth press release

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