Columbus, OH Short-Term Rentals: Extended Home Share (2026)
Key Facts
- Threshold
- 30+ consecutive days, same guest
- Governing section
- C.C.C. § 598.04(E)(1)
- Effect
- No STR permit or excise tax
- Under 30 days
- Requires Section 598.03 permit
Summary
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.
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.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Form Based Code: ?).
Full Breakdown
Columbus defines a short-term rental as a dwelling rented wholly or partly for less than thirty consecutive days. Under Columbus City Codes § 598.04(E)(1), a rental of thirty or more consecutive days by the same person is not subject to short-term rental regulations or the short-term rental excise tax under Chapter 371. That means no Section 598.03 permit application, no BCI background check, no hosting-platform registration, and no excise tax on the booking: the arrangement is treated as an extended-stay lease rather than a short-term rental, so long as the full 30-day term runs with the same guest.
Violations & Fines
Renting for under 30 days without a valid Section 598.03 permit violates C.C.C. 598.02(A)(2): a $250 fine per Section 598.20(C), rising to a third-degree misdemeanor on repeat offenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a 30-day-plus rental in Columbus need a short-term rental permit?
What if the guest leaves before the 30 days are up?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbus
Compare Columbus to another location·View the Ohio short-term rentals overview
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