Columbus, OH Short-Term Rentals: Host Platform Liability (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- C.C.C. § 598.04(F)-(G)
- Platform duty
- No booking without valid permit #
- First-offense fine
- Up to $250
- Repeat offense
- Third-degree misdemeanor
- Record retention
- 4 years, on-request
Summary
Columbus bars booking websites from processing a short-term rental reservation unless the host has a valid city permit number on file, backed by a $250 misdemeanor fine.
No entity, via the entity's website, shall provide for or facilitate a mechanism for a transaction between an owner or permanent occupant and another person to rent or reserve...a dwelling with five guestrooms or less, located within the city of Columbus, unless the owner or permanent occupant has registered or otherwise provided to the entity a valid permit number, issued in accordance with this chapter and associated with the dwelling.
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
Under City Code § 598.04(G), a hosting platform's website cannot provide or facilitate a booking transaction between an owner or permanent occupant and a guest unless the host has registered, or given the platform, a valid short-term rental permit number tied to that dwelling. Section 598.04(F) separately bars anyone from listing a dwelling for a stay under 30 days without a valid permit number attached. The Director of Building and Zoning Services enforces both, and § 598.04(H) requires the platform to keep booking and stay records for at least four years and produce them on request.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 598.04(G) without timely correcting it is an unclassified misdemeanor, fined up to $250; a repeat violation is a third-degree misdemeanor, and each non-compliant listing counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a platform be fined for hosting an unpermitted Columbus listing?
Does the platform get a chance to fix the problem first?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbus
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