McHenry County, IL Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)

020 as an operator-occupied dwelling unit that lodges the public for compensation in no more than five guest rooms, and the defining feature is that the operator remains on premise during the time that the dwelling unit is utilized by guests while also providing services such as breakfast. 020, VACATION RENTAL) is expressly defined without regard to whether the full-time resident remains on the premises, so the host-presence rule attaches only to the bed and breakfast use. 32-1 lists Bed and Breakfast as a conditional use in every zoning district where it is permitted at all, meaning an operator must secure a conditional use permit from the McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals and County Board before opening, rather than obtaining it by right.

64-1 requires 2 parking spaces plus 1 additional space per guest room for the use. Because the operator's continuous on-premise presence and the breakfast service are both part of the statutory definition, a property that rents rooms without a resident operator does not qualify as a bed and breakfast under county law and instead falls under the vacation rental or boarding house provisions, each of which carries its own permitting path.