Short-Term Rentals in Lima, OH (2026)
3 verified short-term rentals rules for Lima, Ohio, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Short-Term Rental Permits
Lima requires every owner of a non-owner-occupied housing unit inside the city to obtain and maintain a Rental Housing Unit Registration Certificate under Codified Ordinances Chapter 872, whether or not the unit is currently rented. Registration is free and was phased in during 2024-2025. This is the closest thing to
Lima Rental Housing Unit Registration (Ch. 872)
Some RestrictionsCity of Lima Rental Housing Unit Registration (Codified Ordinances Ch. 872)
There shall be no fee charged to the property owner for the registration.
Taxes & Fees
Short-term stays in Lima are taxed as lodging. The City levies a Hotel-Motel Tax under Codified Ordinances Chapter 890 (authorized by Ohio R.C. 5739.02(C)), and Allen County levies a lodging excise tax of about 4.75%. An STR that meets Ohio's 'hotel' definition or serves transient guests (stays under 30 days)
Lima Hotel-Motel Tax (Ch. 890) + Allen County lodging tax
Some RestrictionsOhio Revised Code 5739.09(A)(1)
A board of county commissioners may, by resolution adopted by a majority of the members of the board, levy an excise tax not to exceed three per cent on transactions by which lodging by a hotel is or is to be furnished to transient guests.
Night Caps
Lima sets NO annual night cap or maximum number of rental days for short-term rentals. Because the City has no STR ordinance, a registered rental may operate year-round. The only durational line comes from Ohio's lodging-tax definition of a transient guest as a stay under thirty consecutive days.
No annual night cap on Lima STRs
Few RestrictionsOhio Revised Code 5739.01(N)
"Transient guests" means persons occupying a room or rooms for sleeping accommodations for less than thirty consecutive days.