8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 4 cities in Franklin County, Ohio.
Verified from official government sources
Franklin County does not directly license short-term rentals. Most STRs are in Columbus, which requires a short-term rental permit under Columbus City Code 4117. Dublin, Westerville, Upper Arlington, and other suburbs have individual STR rules ranging from outright bans to registration. Unincorporated Franklin County areas have minimal STR regulation but must comply with county zoning and lodging tax collection.
STRs in Franklin County must follow local noise ordinances of the municipality where property is located. Columbus quiet hours 10 PM to 7 AM under CC 2329; Dublin, Westerville, and Upper Arlington generally 10 PM to 7 AM. Unincorporated areas fall under ORC 2917.11 disorderly conduct for unreasonable noise. STR hosts typically receive warning before permit action for repeated noise complaints.
Franklin County imposes 5 percent lodging tax on all transient stays under 30 days (authorized by ORC 5739.024 and Franklin County Resolution). Columbus adds 5.1 percent city bed tax inside city limits. Plus Ohio state sales tax 5.75 percent and Franklin County sales tax 1.25 percent (total 7.5 percent state/county sales). Total STR tax burden in Columbus is approximately 17.6 percent.
STR parking rules follow the zoning code of the municipality where property is located. Columbus CC 4117 requires one off-street parking space per bedroom for short-term rentals. Dublin, Upper Arlington, and Westerville generally prohibit on-street overnight guest parking. Unincorporated Franklin County requires two off-street spaces for single-family dwellings under county zoning.
Columbus STR code CC 4117 limits occupancy to two persons per bedroom plus two additional, with maximum typically capped by parking and septic/sewer capacity. Dublin and Westerville follow similar two-per-bedroom standards. Franklin County has no countywide STR occupancy limit but defers to municipal codes and Ohio Building Code (OBC 310) for habitable space minimums.
Columbus CC 4117 requires Franklin County STR operators inside the city to carry minimum 300,000 dollars liability insurance specifically covering short-term rental use. Airbnb Host Guarantee and AirCover (1 million dollars) typically satisfy this requirement. Unincorporated Franklin County has no county-level insurance mandate but homeowners should confirm their policy covers commercial use.
Franklin County imposes no annual night caps on short-term rentals. Columbus CC 4117 does not cap total rental nights for permitted STRs, though non-owner-occupied permits face stricter density rules in some zoning districts. Bexley limits non-owner-occupied STRs to 90 rental days per year. Dublin prohibits STRs under 30 days entirely in residential zones, effectively capping stays at 0 nights.
Franklin County requires short-term rental operators to register with the County Auditor for lodging tax collection but does not issue a separate county STR license. Columbus requires annual STR permit registration through Department of Building and Zoning Services. Other Franklin County municipalities (Dublin, Westerville, Bexley, Upper Arlington) have varying registration requirements tied to their zoning codes.
4 cities in Franklin County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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