Columbus, OH Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- ADUs per lot
- 1 (2 in R-4, up to 5 total units)
- Max ADU size
- 65% of home or 1,000 sq ft
- STR permit trigger
- Rentals under 30 consecutive days
- Unpermitted STR fine
- Up to $250 per listing
- Future rule flagged
- Possible citywide ADU rental registry
Summary
Columbus allows one accessory dwelling unit per residential lot, but renting it out short-term pulls the ADU into Chapter 598's hotel/motel and short-term-rental permit system, and the zoning code flags that ADUs may later be added to a rental registry.
Purpose. To allow Accessory Dwelling Units in conjunction with a principal dwelling in residential districts subject to the following provisions regarding allowable number, size, height, and location requirements. Short term rental regulations of Chapter 598 apply to any ADU used for that purpose. An ADU may also be subject to a rental registry upon its implementation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Form Based Code: ?).
Full Breakdown
Zoning Code § 3332.355(A) lets homeowners build one ADU per lot in most residential districts without treating it as a separate use, capped at 65 percent of the principal dwelling's floor area or 1,000 square feet. That same subsection cross-references Chapter 598: an ADU rented for under 30 consecutive days is a "short-term rental" and its host must get a City of Columbus Short-Term Rental Permit from the License Section, pass a BCI fingerprint background check, and list a valid permit number on any hosting platform before advertising the unit. Long-term leases of 30+ days are exempt from the permit and the short-term rental excise tax under Chapter 371. The zoning section also puts owners on notice that ADUs "may also be subject to a rental registry upon its implementation," a program the city has not yet stood up.
Violations & Fines
Advertising or operating an unpermitted short-term-rental ADU under C.C. 598.02(A)(2) is an unclassified misdemeanor with up to a $250 fine per listing, escalating to a third-degree misdemeanor on repeat offenses, plus forfeiture of the rental's gross revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent my Columbus ADU on Airbnb?
Does a long-term ADU tenant need a permit?
Is there already an ADU rental registry in Columbus?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbus
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