Erie County, OH

Kelleys Island, OH short-term rental registration

On Kelleys Island, the village certifies each rental home before guests arrive. The certificate goes only to an owner or representative who can reach the island within 72 hours, provided the ferry runs. A home offered more than three days a year is covered.[4]

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

Can you rent short term in Kelleys Island?

Register before you list

What you apply for: Transient Rental Registration Certificate

Seasonal homes
920
Housing units
1,009
Residents
128

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

  • City ruleRegistration required
  • City fee$600
  • Tax on each stay4%
  • Seasonal homes912 per 1,000

Kelleys Island short-term rental registration

Every home rented to guests on Kelleys Island needs a Transient Rental Registration Certificate, renewed each year for $600. For the 2026 season, the village set May 30, 2026 as the deadline for applications and renewals. Its notice says a host who missed it may not operate a short-term rental on the island. A new application adds a certified home inspection and a septic inspection, paid by the owner. Proof of at least $300,000 in personal liability insurance comes with each renewal. The owner also registers with Erie County for its lodging tax.[5]

What Kelleys Island asks of you

  • Ordinance 2024-O-23, dated December 14, 2024, opened the village's transient rental registration system on February 1, 2025.[4]

  • Any home made available to transient guests for more than three days in a calendar year must be registered every year.[4]

  • The fee is $600 for a first certificate and $600 for each yearly renewal.[4]

  • Only an owner or authorized representative can hold a certificate. That person must be able to reach the property within 72 hours, provided the ferry is running.[4]

  • An Ohio certified home inspector carries out a safety inspection under the Ohio Basic Building Code. It is repeated every three years.[4]

  • Proof of a septic tank inspection is required, valid for 36 months from the inspection date.[4]

  • Maximum occupancy is four people per home plus two per bedroom. Each bedroom needs two separate means of egress.[4]

  • After a call for service, the owner or a representative must respond within 24 hours. Someone off the island may answer by phone.[4]

  • A policy of at least $300,000 must cover general and premises liability. The village gets ten days' notice before any cancellation.[4]

  • More than three calls for service to law enforcement in twelve months can make the rental a public nuisance.[4]

  • A notice of revocation carries a $500 fine the first time and $750 the second. With a third, the operator becomes liable for a first degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to $1,000.[4]

  • Each certificate stays tied to its property. Within 14 days of taking title, a new owner files a renewal application. The change of ownership also calls for a new initial registration fee. Once approved, the certificate passes to that owner for the rest of its term.[4]

Apply on the Kelleys Island 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 Kelleys Island

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

Short-term rental tax layers in Kelleys Island
LayerRateRemitted to
Erie County lodging tax[6]4%The county
Total on a taxable stay4%

Kelleys Island is a designated resort area, where the state levies a gross receipts tax on businesses. Since October 1, 2026, the state has charged 2% there instead of 1.5%. The business owes it even when the receipt shows it.[7]

Airbnb taxes for hosts

What the census counts

How much of Kelleys Island is already a second home

The Census Bureau counts 920 of Kelleys Island's 1,009 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 912 out of every 1,000. It ranks Kelleys Island 1st of the 5 Ohio cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.

Rank in the state
1st of 5
Share of housing
912 per 1,000
Median home value
$346,400

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

Nearby and comparable

Where Kelleys Island sits among its neighbors

Port Clinton, OH

Certificate required

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

Port Clinton short-term rental rules

Cincinnati, OH

Registration required

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

Cincinnati short-term rental rules

Marblehead, OH

Allowed by zone

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

Marblehead short-term rental rules

Cleveland, OH

Capped

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

Cleveland 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

Kelleys Island short-term rental questions

How much does a Kelleys Island rental certificate cost?

The village fee is $600 a year. The home inspection and the septic inspection are paid separately, by the applicant to the inspectors.[5]

How many guests can a Kelleys Island rental take?

Four people per home plus two per bedroom. A room counted as a bedroom must be used mainly for sleeping, with two separate means of egress.[4]

Does Erie County tax a Kelleys Island rental?

Yes. Erie County levies 4% on rents paid by transient guests, and its definition covers places with fewer than five rooms. Registration is due within thirty days of starting.[6]
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. Ordinance No. 2024-O-23, Transient Rental Property, Village of Kelleys Island, read on October 1, 2026
  5. Transient Rental Program, Village of Kelleys Island, read on October 1, 2026
  6. File To Pay My Lodging Tax, Erie County Auditor, read on October 1, 2026
  7. Resort Area Gross Receipts Excise Tax, Ohio Department of Taxation, 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.

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