Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup

Short-Term Rentals in Cleveland, OH (2026)

12 verified short-term rentals rules for Cleveland, Ohio, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Short-Term Rental Permits

Cleveland requires every owner or operator of a short-term rental to hold a license from the Commissioner before renting the unit at all. Applications cost $150, run December 1 to November 30, and require proof of insurance, occupancy, and lead-safe certification.

Cleveland Short-Term Rental License Rules

Significant Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 686B.03(a), (d)

(a) No owner or operator shall operate, rent, lease, sublease, license or sublicense a dwelling unit as a short-term rental without a short-term rental license from the Commissioner. ... (d) Every short-term rental license application shall be accompanied by a fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00). Every license issued shall be given a license number. Licenses shall be valid for one year c...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Noise Rules

Cleveland bars excessive or unnecessary noise at a licensed short-term rental at all times, cross-referencing the city's general noise ordinance at § 605.10. A host who lets guests violate that standard risks license revocation or suspension on top of whatever penalty the noise ordinance itself carries.

Cleveland Short-Term Rental Noise Prohibition

Some Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 686B.06(g)

(g) Excessive or unnecessary noise in violation of these Codified Ordinances, including but not limited to Section 605.10, is prohibited at all times on the short-term rental property.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Cleveland requires every short-term rental owner or operator to hold an annual license from the Commissioner before renting a dwelling unit, per Codified Ordinances § 686B.03. The application carries a $150 fee, due again at $150 for each annual renewal, and the license runs December 1 through November 30 and cannot be transferred between people or properties.

Cleveland Short-Term Rental License: $150 Fee

Significant Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 686B.03

(a) No owner or operator shall operate, rent, lease, sublease, license or sublicense a dwelling unit as a short-term rental without a short-term rental license from the Commissioner. ... (d) Every short-term rental license application shall be accompanied by a fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00). Every license issued shall be given a license number. Licenses shall be valid for one year c...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Cleveland doesn't set a separate parking-space count for short-term rentals: it holds transient guests to the same parking rules as everyone else under § 686B.06(c), while requiring hosts to submit a parking plan with every license application and weighing on-street parking impact in density variance decisions.

Cleveland Short-Term Rental Parking Requirements

Light Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 686B.06(c)

(c) Transient guests are subject to all applicable parking requirements of these Codified Ordinances.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Occupancy Limits

Cleveland caps overnight occupancy in a licensed short-term rental at two guests per bedroom, plus two additional people. The Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses must print that maximum on the license itself, and a below-grade room can't count as a bedroom unless it meets the city's habitable-room standards. The rule takes effect November 28, 2026.

Cleveland Short-Term Rental Occupancy Cap: 2 Per Bedroom

Some Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 686B.06(b), (e)

(b) The maximum number of persons permitted overnight in a short-term rental is two (2) per bedroom, plus two (2) additional persons. ... (e) A room located below grade shall not be used as a bedroom, unless it meets the requirements for habitable rooms below grade as set forth in Section 369.02 of these Codified Ordinances.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Insurance Requirements

Cleveland won't issue a short-term rental license unless the applicant proves at least $500,000 in liability insurance covering the rental, either through the host's own policy or as a named insured under a booking agent's coverage. The proof goes in with the rest of the § 686B.03 license application.

Cleveland STR Liability Insurance: $500,000 Minimum

Some Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 686B.03(b)(7)

(7) proof of liability insurance for the short-term rental, or proof that the short-term rental and the short-term owner or operator are named insured under a booking agent's liability of insurance, with limits not less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00);
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Night Caps

Cleveland caps limited lodging (short-term rentals) at 91 days per calendar year per dwelling unit, and no single guest can stay more than 30 consecutive days: beyond that it's a long-term tenancy, not limited lodging.

Cleveland Short-Term Rentals: 91-Day Annual Cap

Some Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 337.251(a)(8), (b)(1)

(b)(1) Limited lodging is permitted in a Residence District, provided that limited lodging in a particular dwelling unit may be provided for no more than ninety-one (91) days per calendar year. ... (a)(8) "Temporary occupancy" means the accommodation of lodgers conducted in a dwelling unit, the primary use of which is for household living, and where the total accommodations of lodgers provided ...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

Cleveland lets residents run limited lodging (Airbnb-style rentals) only if the owner or authorized tenant actually lives in the dwelling more than 51% of the calendar year. An absentee investor can't operate one under this Residence District use.

Cleveland Short-Term Rental Owner-Occupancy Rule

Some Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 337.251(a)(6)-(7)

(a)(6) "Owner" means a titled-owner or a tenant/renter of a property who is in possession and control of the dwelling unit and who lives in the dwelling unit more than fifty-one percent (51%) of the calendar year. Any tenant or renter of the property must be authorized by the titled-owner of the property to provide limited lodging. (a)(7) "Primary residence" means the use of a dwelling unit for...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Cleveland only allows short-term rentals as "limited lodging" when the use is accessory and incidental to the dwelling being used as someone's primary residence: the property can't be operated as a standalone rental business.

Cleveland Short-Term Rentals Limited to Primary Homes

Some Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 337.251(c)(1)-(2)

(c)(1) The dwelling unit shall remain as a household living unit with housekeeping facilities in common. (c)(2) Limited lodging must be accessory and incidental to the use of a dwelling unit for residential household living purposes as a primary residence.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Extended Home Share

A Cleveland short-term rental license only covers stays of 30 consecutive days or less. Rent the same guest a unit for longer than that and the property stops being a short-term rental under city law and instead needs a Chapter 365 rental registration certificate, not an STR license.

Cleveland: Stays Over 30 Days Need Rental Registration

Some Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 686B.05(d)

(d) Notwithstanding Chapter 365, short-term rentals are not required to have a certificate of rental registration provided the dwelling unit remains a short-term rental. A dwelling unit rented for more than thirty (30) consecutive days is not a short-term rental as defined in this chapter and requires a certificate of rental registration pursuant to Chapter 365.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Repeat Violator Strikes

Cleveland must revoke a short-term rental license once three or more nuisance activities happen at the property within any 12-month span, even if the property was never formally declared a nuisance. A single violent crime, weapons offense or riot-related charge at the property triggers automatic revocation on its own.

Cleveland STR License Revoked After 3 Nuisance Strikes

Heavy Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 686B.04(d)(1)

A license shall be revoked, without limitation: (1) if three (3) or more nuisance activities, as defined in Section 630.01, have occurred on or from the licensed property within a 12-month period, even if the licensed property has not been declared a nuisance under these Codified Ordinances;
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Platform Liability

Cleveland requires every booking agent, the platforms like Airbnb that take reservations or payment for short-term rentals, to register with the Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses and name a person authorized to accept legal service, handle tax remittance, and fix violations tied to listings on that platform.

Cleveland Booking Agent Registration Requirement

Significant Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 686B.08(a)

(a) Registration. A booking agent of short-term rentals shall register with the Commissioner on a form provided by the Commissioner which form shall include: ... (2) The name, mailing address, street address, telephone or cell phone number, and email address of at least one person authorized to: A. Accept service of process on behalf of the booking agent; B. Manage issues related to the col...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Looking for Cuyahoga County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Cleveland city rules.

Short-Term Rentals in Cuyahoga County →