4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Winnebago County, Illinois.
Verified from official government sources
The City of Rockford requires every short-term rental to register with its Rental/Short-Term Rental Registry under the Rockford Short-Term Rental Ordinance, with three permit types (owner-occupied Type 1, non-owner-occupied Type 2, capped Type 3). Hosts collect Illinois state Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax under 35 ILCS 145 plus the Rockford 5.5% local hotel/motel tax. Unincorporated Winnebago County does not currently impose a separate county STR license.
Unincorporated Winnebago County does not impose a dedicated STR registration fee, but operators must remit a 2% county hotel/motel tax to the Winnebago County Treasurer plus the 6% Illinois Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax (35 ILCS 145). Vacation Rentals are also a Special Use under Chapter 90 (Article 8, Table 8.1) requiring zoning approval in the R-A district.
Winnebago County's Chapter 90 Unified Development Ordinance does not publish a vacation-rental-specific parking ratio. Vacation rental parking in unincorporated areas defaults to the off-street parking standards in Chapter 90 Article 23 for the underlying single-family dwelling, plus any site-specific parking condition the Zoning Board of Appeals attaches to the Special Use Permit issued under Article 8 Table 8.1 in the R-A district.
Winnebago County's Chapter 90 Unified Development Ordinance does not set a numeric overnight-guest cap for vacation rentals in unincorporated areas. Occupancy is governed by the Special Use Permit conditions imposed by the Zoning Board of Appeals under Article 8 (Table 8.1) and the bedroom/sleeping-room minimum floor area standards in the building code adopted by the county.
1 cities in Winnebago County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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