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Short-Term Rentals in Columbus, OH (2026)

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

Verified from official government sources

Short-Term Rental Permits

Columbus requires every short-term rental host to obtain an annual city permit before listing a dwelling on Airbnb, Vrbo, or any booking platform, with a $250 fine per listing for skipping it.

Columbus Short-Term Rental Permit Rules

Significant Restrictions

Columbus City Codes § 598.02(A)(2)

No person or entity shall engage in, conduct, or carry on, or permit to be engaged in, conducted or carried on, in or upon any premises in the city of Columbus, the offering, listing, advertisement or marketing of a dwelling with five guestrooms or less on an entity's website for the purpose of offering to reserve or rent the dwelling, in whole or in part, to any other person, for a period of l...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Noise Rules

Columbus doesn't set STR-specific quiet hours, but noise complaints count as a "call for service" under Chapter 598: three or more in a rolling 12 months gives the License Section grounds to deny, suspend, or revoke your short-term rental permit.

Columbus STR Noise Complaints Risk Revocation

Significant Restrictions

Columbus City Codes § 598.05(B)(9)

The Director may deny any application for a new permit, or renewal of permit, revoke or suspend a permit, if any of the following are shown to have occurred during the time of application or at the hotel/motel, short-term rental, or applicant's dwelling:(1)The applicant has been convicted of violating C.C.C. 598.02(A)(1) or C.C.C. 598.02(A)(2).(2)The hotel/motel, short-term rental, or applicant...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Columbus taxes short-term rental stays at a combined 5.1% excise rate, collected by hosts or hosting platforms and remitted monthly to the city auditor by the 20th of each month.

Columbus Short-Term Rental Occupancy Tax

Some Restrictions

Columbus City Codes § 371.02

an excise tax of three (3) percent is hereby levied on transactions by which lodging by a hotel or transient accommodations, including short-term rentals, is or is to be furnished to transient guests or short-term rental guests, pursuant to former Ohio Revised Code Sec. 5739.02(C)(1) (currently Ohio Revised Code Sec. 5739.08(A)) and furthermore, an additional excise tax of three (3) percent is ...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Columbus requires a short-term rental host to be the dwelling's owner or a 'permanent occupant' who lives there more than half the year: it is not a primary-residence-only law, since an absentee owner can still hold the permit.

Columbus Short-Term Rental Host Residency Rule

Light Restrictions

Columbus City Codes §§ 598.01(R), 598.04(B)

(B) A short-term rental host shall be either an owner or a permanent occupant. ... (R) "Permanent Occupant" means a person who resides in a dwelling more than 51% of the time during a calendar year, and such dwelling in which a person resides shall be referred to as the primary residence.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Extended Home Share

In Columbus, renting a dwelling to the same person for 30 or more consecutive days falls outside the short-term rental permit, registration, and excise-tax requirements in City Code Chapter 598 entirely.

Columbus 30-Day Rentals Are Exempt From STR Rules

Few Restrictions

Columbus City Codes § 598.04(E)(1)

A rental for thirty (30) or more consecutive days by the same person(s) are not subject to short-term rental regulations or short-term rental excise taxes.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Repeat Violator Strikes

Columbus can deny, suspend, or revoke a short-term rental permit once a property racks up three or more calls for service in a rolling 12-month period.

Columbus STR Repeat-Violator Strikes Rule

Significant Restrictions

Columbus City Codes § 598.05(B)(9)

The Director may deny any application for a new permit, or renewal of permit, revoke or suspend a permit, if any of the following are shown to have occurred during the time of application or at the hotel/motel, short-term rental, or applicant's dwelling:(1)The applicant has been convicted of violating C.C.C. 598.02(A)(1) or C.C.C. 598.02(A)(2).(2)The hotel/motel, short-term rental, or applicant...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Platform Liability

Columbus bars booking websites from processing a short-term rental reservation unless the host has a valid city permit number on file, backed by a $250 misdemeanor fine.

Columbus Hosting Platform Liability Rules

Some Restrictions

Columbus City Codes § 598.04(G)

No entity, via the entity's website, shall provide for or facilitate a mechanism for a transaction between an owner or permanent occupant and another person to rent or reserve...a dwelling with five guestrooms or less, located within the city of Columbus, unless the owner or permanent occupant has registered or otherwise provided to the entity a valid permit number, issued in accordance with th...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Looking for Franklin County county-wide rules?

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

Short-Term Rentals in Franklin County →