Hamilton County, OH

Cincinnati, OH short-term rental registration

Cincinnati lets you host once the city has registered the unit, and its number must appear on every listing. A unit that receives affordable housing grants or credits can never be registered. In a building of five or more units, only a set share may operate.[4]

Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.

Can you rent short term in Cincinnati?

Register before you list

What you apply for: Short term rental registration

Seasonal homes
953
Housing units
160,409
Residents
311,224

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates

  • City ruleRegistration required
  • City fee$250
  • Tax on each stay7%
  • Seasonal homes6 per 1,000

Cincinnati short-term rental registration

Cincinnati requires every short-term rental to be registered with the city before it operates, under Chapter 856 of the municipal code. The fee is $250, and a registration lasts three years. Renewal costs another $250. File it no earlier than 180 days and no later than 60 days before expiry. The application names a responsible person who lives or works within fifty miles. It also lists every platform carrying the unit. The city decides within thirty days of a complete application.[6]

What Cincinnati asks of you

  • Chapter 856 covers any dwelling unit, or part of one, offered on an online platform for stays of less than thirty consecutive days.[4]

  • The operator names a responsible person whose principal residence or place of business lies within fifty miles of the rental.[4]

  • The operator certifies being the legal owner, or a tenant with the right to run the unit as a short-term rental.[4]

  • The operator also certifies that the unit meets the building and zoning codes. The same certification covers the housing and fire codes.[4]

  • The operator must be current on city taxes and utility bills, including the short-term rental excise tax.[4]

  • The registration and a safety advisory are posted at the entrance inside the unit. Every listing carries the registration number.[4]

  • Liability insurance is required at the prevailing rate for similar properties. Coverage provided by a hosting platform can satisfy it.[4]

  • A unit that receives affordable housing grants or credits from any level of government cannot be registered.[4]

  • A building with four units or fewer has no limit. From five units, four rentals are allowed, plus one for every four units beyond four.[4]

  • Three citations in a year for guest behavior such as noise or overcrowding create a rebuttable presumption of nuisance.[4]

  • A revoked registration cannot be reinstated for twelve months, and the unit cannot operate as a short-term rental in the meantime.[4]

  • Operating without registration is a Class C civil offense on the first day, then a Class D offense for each further day after notice.[4]

  • A listing without the active registration number is a Class A civil offense, repeated each day after notice.[4]

  • Chapter 315 levies an excise tax of 7% on the gross revenue of a short-term rental. The operator owes it, and a platform may pay it on the operator's behalf.[5]

Apply on the Cincinnati site

What Ohio asks wherever you host

These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.

  • A stay of under 30 days carries Ohio sales tax only when the facility has at least five sleeping rooms.[1]

  • Where that sales tax does apply, the state rate is 5.75%, and the seller needs a vendor's license before the first sale.[2]

  • Ohio law lets a county, township or city extend its lodging tax below that five-room line.[3]

Ohio short-term rental rules

What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Cincinnati

Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.

Short-term rental tax layers in Cincinnati
LayerRateRemitted to
Cincinnati short-term rental excise tax[5]7%The city
Total on a taxable stay7%

Hamilton County limits its 6.5% lodging tax to places with at least five sleeping accommodations. Below five rooms, the county says, the tax does not apply.[7]

Airbnb taxes for hosts

What the census counts

How much of Cincinnati is already a second home

The Census Bureau counts 953 of Cincinnati's 160,409 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 6 out of every 1,000. It ranks Cincinnati 4th of the 5 Ohio cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.

Rank in the state
4th of 5
Share of housing
6 per 1,000
Median home value
$230,900

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.

Nearby and comparable

Where Cincinnati sits among its neighbors

Port Clinton, OH

Certificate required

848 seasonal homes, 229 per 1,000 housing units.

Port Clinton short-term rental rules

Kelleys Island, OH

Registration required

920 seasonal homes, 912 per 1,000 housing units.

Kelleys Island short-term rental rules

Cleveland, OH

Capped

1,151 seasonal homes, 6 per 1,000 housing units.

Cleveland short-term rental rules

Marblehead, OH

Allowed by zone

700 seasonal homes, 621 per 1,000 housing units.

Marblehead short-term rental rules
StatewideEvery Ohio city on this site, in one tableState law, the tax stack and every city we cover in Ohio, with what each one asks of a host.Ohio short-term rental rules

Keep exploring

FAQ

Cincinnati short-term rental questions

How much does Cincinnati short-term rental registration cost?

The city charges $250 for a three-year registration. Renewal is another $250, filed between 180 and 60 days before the expiration date.[6]

Who pays Cincinnati's 7% short-term rental tax?

The operator owes it on gross revenue. Chapter 315 lets the operator have the hosting platform pay it, and lets the city treasurer sign a collection agreement with a platform.[5]

How many units in a Cincinnati building can be short-term rentals?

All of them, if the building has four units or fewer. From five units, the limit is four, plus one for every four units above four. A building used this way before January 1, 2019 keeps its earlier count if higher.[4]
Read nextHow to start an AirbnbThe six steps in order, starting with the permit check.Read the guide

Sources

  1. Sales and Use Taxability, lodging and storage, Ohio Department of Taxation, read on October 1, 2026
  2. Sales and Use Tax, state rate and vendor's license, Ohio Department of Taxation, read on October 1, 2026
  3. Ohio Revised Code section 5739.091, expansion of definition of hotel, Ohio Laws and Administrative Rules, Legislative Service Commission, read on October 1, 2026
  4. Cincinnati Municipal Code, Chapter 856, Short Term Rentals, City of Cincinnati, via Municode, read on October 1, 2026
  5. Cincinnati Municipal Code, Chapter 315, Short Term Rental Excise Tax, City of Cincinnati, via Municode, read on October 1, 2026
  6. Short Term Rental, Department of Finance, City of Cincinnati, read on October 1, 2026
  7. Hotel Lodging Tax, Hamilton County, read on October 1, 2026

This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 1, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.

Before you list

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