Cleveland, OH Short-Term Rentals: Host Platform Liability (2026)
Key Facts
- Who must register
- Booking agents facilitating reservations/payment
- Registration renewal
- Annual, on Commissioner's schedule
- Required authorized-person duties
- Service of process, tax remittal, fixing violations
- Failure-to-register fine
- $1,500 per year
- Also must comply with
- Chapter 193 tax collection
Summary
Cleveland requires every booking agent, the platforms like Airbnb that take reservations or payment for short-term rentals, to register with the Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses and name a person authorized to accept legal service, handle tax remittance, and fix violations tied to listings on that platform.
(a) Registration. A booking agent of short-term rentals shall register with the Commissioner on a form provided by the Commissioner which form shall include: ... (2) The name, mailing address, street address, telephone or cell phone number, and email address of at least one person authorized to: A. Accept service of process on behalf of the booking agent; B. Manage issues related to the collection and remittal of taxes and fees under Chapter 193 of the Codified Ordinances; and C. Take remedial action to address any violation of an owner's or operator's responsibilities under this or any other relevant chapter of the Codified Ordinances.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-28: Current through legislation passed September 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
02(c) as any person or entity that facilitates reservations or collects payment for short-term rental accommodations on behalf of an owner or operator through a website, app or similar means, to register with the Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses on a city-supplied form. That form must list the booking agent's own contact information plus the name, address, phone number and email of at least one authorized person who can accept service of legal process on the booking agent's behalf, manage collection and remittal of taxes and fees owed under Chapter 193, and take remedial action to fix violations of an owner's or operator's responsibilities under Chapter 686B or any other relevant chapter of the Codified Ordinances.
08(b), and the booking agent must notify the Commissioner immediately of any change to that authorized person's contact information. 08(c) separately binds booking agents to comply with all of Chapter 193, the city's tax-collection chapter, for lodging taxes generated through their platform. 02(c), the registration duty attaches specifically to platforms that process reservations or payment.
Violations & Fines
A booking agent that fails to register under § 686B.08 is fined $1,500 under § 686B.991(g), with each year of continued non-compliance counting as a separate offense. That civil penalty stacks with any liability the platform or its authorized agent has for unremitted lodging taxes under Chapter 193, and civil penalties can be appealed to the applicable administrative officer within 10 days and then to the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a booking platform like Airbnb have to register with the City of Cleveland?
What is a booking agent required to do under Cleveland's short-term rental law?
What's the fine if a booking platform doesn't register in Cleveland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cleveland
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