Cleveland, OH short-term rental limits
Until November 28, 2026, Cleveland's code allows limited lodging in a residence district, for fewer than 91 days a year. Until that date, the host must live in the home more than 51% of the year, and needs no rental registration.[4]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Cleveland?
Limited number allowed
What you apply for: Short-term rental license, from November 28, 2026
- Seasonal homes
- 1,151
- Housing units
- 201,141
- Residents
- 366,097
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleCapped
- City fee$150
- Tax on each stay9.5%
- Seasonal homes6 per 1,000
Cleveland short-term rental rules
Cleveland's short-term rental rules change on November 28, 2026, when Chapter 686B takes effect. Every short-term rental then needs a city license, at $150 a year, prorated in the first year. Each license year runs from December 1 to November 30. The application asks for a floor plan, a parking plan and $500,000 of liability insurance. A local contact must reach the home within one hour of a call. In a residential district, rentals are capped at 10% of the residential units on a block, with at least one allowed. An unlicensed operator faces a $5,000 civil fine.[6]
What Cleveland asks of you
Until November 28, 2026, Section 337.251 allows limited lodging in a residence district, as an accessory use of the host's primary residence.[4]
Until then, limited lodging is capped at fewer than 91 days per calendar year, and no lodger may stay more than thirty consecutive days.[4]
Under that rule, the host provides smoke detectors by each sleeping area, a carbon monoxide detector and the contact of a person who resolves complaints.[4]
Ordinance 561-2026, passed June 1, 2026, repeals Section 337.251 and enacts Chapter 686B. Both changes take effect 180 days after passage.[5]
From November 28, 2026, no one may rent, advertise or book a short-term rental without a city license.[6]
The license costs $150 and renews at $150 a year. It cannot be transferred, either to another person or to another address.[6]
The application includes a dimensioned floor plan, a parking plan and proof of $500,000 in liability insurance.[6]
Applicants also prove that real estate taxes and occupancy taxes are paid. A certificate of occupancy and lead-safe certification complete the file.[6]
While guests are present, a local contact must stay reachable and able to get to the home within one hour of a call.[6]
The home may hold two people per bedroom, plus two more. Neighbors next door, across the street and behind the home get the local contact's details first.[6]
In a residential district, short-term rentals are capped at 10% of the residential units on a block or in a multi-unit building. At least one is always allowed.[6]
Chapter 686B defines a multi-unit building as a Class A multiple dwelling with three or more dwelling units.[6]
A home run as limited lodging for a year before the ordinance took effect, with no recorded complaints, escapes that cap. It still needs a license.[5]
Three nuisance activities in twelve months, or a single offense of violence, lead to revocation of the license.[6]
The civil fine for operating without a license is $5,000. Advertising without one costs $1,000 for each day.[6]
A dwelling operated as a short-term rental is not eligible for tax abatement.[6]
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]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Cleveland
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Cuyahoga County lodging tax[8] | 6.5% | The county |
| Cleveland transient occupancy tax[7] | 3% | The city |
| Total on a taxable stay | 9.5% |
Since July 1, 2026, Cleveland's 3% transient occupancy tax names short-term rentals expressly. A booking agent may collect and remit it, which relieves the host once the agent confirms payment.[7]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Cleveland is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 1,151 of Cleveland's 201,141 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 6 out of every 1,000. It ranks Cleveland 5th of the 5 Ohio cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 5th of 5
- Share of housing
- 6 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $102,000
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Cleveland sits among its neighbors
Cincinnati, OH
Registration required
953 seasonal homes, 6 per 1,000 housing units.
Cincinnati short-term rental rulesPort Clinton, OH
Certificate required
848 seasonal homes, 229 per 1,000 housing units.
Port Clinton short-term rental rulesMarblehead, OH
Allowed by zone
700 seasonal homes, 621 per 1,000 housing units.
Marblehead short-term rental rulesKelleys Island, OH
Registration required
920 seasonal homes, 912 per 1,000 housing units.
Kelleys Island short-term rental rulesFAQ
Cleveland short-term rental questions
When does Cleveland's short-term rental license start?
How many short-term rentals can a Cleveland block have?
What tax does a Cleveland short-term rental stay carry?
Sources
- Sales and Use Taxability, lodging and storage, Ohio Department of Taxation, read on October 1, 2026
- Sales and Use Tax, state rate and vendor's license, Ohio Department of Taxation, read on October 1, 2026
- Ohio Revised Code section 5739.091, expansion of definition of hotel, Ohio Laws and Administrative Rules, Legislative Service Commission, read on October 1, 2026
- Cleveland Codified Ordinances, section 337.251, Limited Lodging in Residence Districts, City of Cleveland, via American Legal Publishing, read on October 1, 2026
- Ordinance No. 561-2026, Short-Term Rentals, legislation details and final text, Cleveland City Council, read on October 1, 2026
- Cleveland Codified Ordinances, Chapter 686B, Short-Term Rentals, City of Cleveland, via American Legal Publishing, read on October 1, 2026
- Cleveland Codified Ordinances, Chapter 193, Transient Occupancy Tax, City of Cleveland, via American Legal Publishing, read on October 1, 2026
- Lodging Occupancy Tax, Fiscal Officer, Cuyahoga 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
Free tools for new hosts
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
Airbnb host fee calculator
What Airbnb takes on a booking under the 15.5% host-only fee or the old split fee, what the guest pays on top, and the payout that reaches you.
Airbnb profit calculator
Nightly rate, occupancy, Airbnb fee, management, mortgage, taxes and depreciation. You get cash flow, cash-on-cash return and what is left after the IRS.
Airbnb cleaning checklist generator
Build a printable turnover checklist by room, with restock, photos to take and a place for the cleaner to sign. Free PDF, no sign-up.