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Ohio Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Laws 2026

LawfulStay tracks short-term rental (STR / Airbnb / Vrbo / holiday let / vacation rental) regulations for 18 jurisdictions across Ohio. Select a city below for current permit requirements, tax rates, and compliance details.

10 Active 3 Restricted 4 Pending 1 None

Ohio Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview

The short-term rental regulatory landscape in Ohio encompasses 18 tracked jurisdictions: 10 with active regulations, 3 with restrictions, 4 with pending legislation. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.

Approximately 61% of tracked jurisdictions in Ohio require some form of permit, license, or registration for short-term rental operations. Requirements range from simple online registration to comprehensive permit applications with inspections.

Tax obligations apply in 12 of 18 jurisdictions. Common taxes include occupancy taxes, tourist levies, and sales taxes. Many jurisdictions require hosts to register for tax collection, and some platforms like Airbnb collect and remit taxes automatically in select locations.

Cities with significant restrictions on vacation rentals include Put-in-Bay, Sandusky, Concord Township. These jurisdictions typically impose permit caps, zoning limitations, or primary residence requirements.

LawfulStay monitors Ohio STR regulations daily and updates this page as rules change. Each city page includes detailed permit requirements, fee schedules, tax rates, zoning rules, and penalty information sourced from official government websites.

Concord Township
Concord Township (Lake County, Ohio) trustees unanimously imposed a one-year moratorium on new STR permits, effective February 18, 2026. The pause applies to al…
Restricted
Put-in-Bay
Dual jurisdiction: Village of Put-in-Bay (Ordinance 1504-25) AND Put-in-Bay Township both require separate permits. Village used moratoriums 2023-2024 to contro…
Restricted
Sandusky
Hard citywide cap of 99 STR permits total. Very restrictive zoning: STRs permitted only in CR, CS, DBD, GB, RB, RRB zones and within the Transient Rental Overla…
Restricted
Akron
Property owner must reside in the City of Akron. Max occupancy: 2 adults/bedroom + 4 additional persons. Large events/parties prohibited without special event p…
Active
Berea
1) Permit holders must post city rules (parking rules, noise ordinances, etc.) on the refrigerator or otherwise prominently inside the rental unit for guest vis…
Active
Cincinnati
$250 per unit every 3 years. Multi-unit buildings: max 4 STR units, or 4 + 1 per every 4 additional dwelling units in buildings of 5+ units. Self-certification …
Active
Circleville
Page exists; detailed research pending.
Active
Columbus
Two tiers: primary residence (no day cap) vs non-primary (104-day/year cap). BCI background check required. 24/7 local contact required. Permit number must disp…
Active
Geneva-on-the-Lake
Geneva-on-the-Lake (Village) maintains a streamlined, tourism-friendly STR permit structure. Operators must obtain a Village business license and pass a residen…
Active
Kelleys Island
Village of Kelleys Island enacted Ordinance 2024-O-23 (November 2024) establishing a formal Transient Rental Property chapter, repealing the prior 2004 ordinanc…
Active
Lakewood
Page exists; detailed research pending.
Active
Reynoldsburg
Page exists; detailed research pending.
Active
Toledo
$1,000,000 minimum general liability insurance. Site plan (bedrooms + parking) required. 24/7 local contact who can respond within 45 minutes. Must notify adjac…
Active
Cleveland
New ordinance passed June 1, 2026; enforcement begins ~November 2026 (180 days). Density cap: new STRs in residential areas limited to 10% of units on a block o…
Pending
Hocking Hills
Hocking County published a revised STR Ordinance Draft (revised January 29, 2026) covering safety requirements including smoke/CO detectors, fire extinguishers,…
Pending
Orrville
Orrville, Ohio is in the earliest stage of considering short-term rental regulation. The planning committee is set to meet July 27, 2026 to open discussions — n…
Pending
Westlake
Westlake city officials are debating how to address concerns about short-term residential rentals. The city currently has codes that may apply to STRs but lacks…
Pending
Dayton
No STR-specific ordinance as of July 2026. City uses case-by-case nuisance enforcement. Standard city zoning applies. HOA restrictions may apply. City has state…
None