Middletown, OH Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

01(e)(8) of the City of Middletown Development Code sets the standards a home occupation must meet to operate legally in a residential dwelling. The occupation must be clearly secondary to the full-time use of the property as a residence, and under division E it cannot occupy more than 25% of the total floor area of the principal dwelling unit, whether it is run from the house itself or from an accessory building. At least one resident of the dwelling must operate the occupation, and the operator may have no more than one employee on-site who does not live there.

The residential building cannot be altered to change its residential appearance to a commercial one, and no separate entrance may be created solely for the home occupation; window displays and outdoor storage of business equipment or materials are also barred. Permitted categories under division C include art and craft work, office-only professional uses like architects or financial advisors, personal service establishments such as salons or licensed massage, and mail-order or direct-sale businesses with no stock-in-trade on site, while division D separately lists prohibited activities. A rental-unit operator must be able to show the property owner authorized the home occupation, and none of the standards allow additional off-street parking, loading facilities, or driveways beyond what a residence would normally have.