Cook County, IL Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Supervised
- host present; no special use needed
- Non-Supervised
- host absent; special-use permit required
- Max stay
- 30 consecutive days
- Min stay
- 24 hours
- Guest cap
- 2 guests per bedroom
- Applies in
- unincorporated Cook County only
Summary
Cook County's zoning ordinance splits short-term rentals into two tracks based on whether the host is present. A 'Supervised' rental, host on site during the stay, only needs a standard home-based-business occupancy. A 'Non-Supervised' rental, where the host is absent, must also obtain a special-use permit under §8.7.11(B).
B.Short-term Rental Types.a.Supervised. A dwelling unit that is used as a Short-term Rental where the host is present during a Short-term Rental Guest's length of stay.i.Business Occupancy. Supervised Short-term Rentals shall obtain and conform to all other regulations for a home-based business occupancy. A special use will not be required unless the use exceeds the definition of a Supervised Short-term Rental...b.Non-Supervised. A dwelling unit that is used as a Short-term Rental where the host is not present during a Short-term Rental Guest's length of stay.i.Non-Supervised Short-term Rentals shall obtain a special use in accordance with the Codes of Ordinances of Cook County, Illinois, in addition to a business occupancy.
Full Breakdown
not exceed 30 consecutive calendar days,' then divides rentals into two types in subsection (B). ' A 'Non-Supervised' rental, host not present, is treated far more heavily: it 'shall obtain a special use in accordance with the Codes of Ordinances of Cook County, Illinois, in addition to a business occupancy,' meaning the operator must go through Article 13's special-use process, certified-mail notice to neighbors within 250 feet, multi-department review, and a public hearing before the Zoning Board of Appeals, on top of business licensing. Both tracks share guest-capacity limits, no more than 25 percent of one story's floor area for guests in a Supervised rental (six bedrooms maximum for Non-Supervised), one bathroom per guest bedroom, and two guests per bedroom, and both bar hosting more than one reservation simultaneously.
, a further condition attached to the harder special-use track. 1; Chicago and the County's incorporated suburbs license short-term rentals under their own separate ordinances.
Violations & Fines
Operating a host-absent rental as if it were 'Supervised', without the special-use permit §8.7.11(B) requires for a Non-Supervised rental, is an unpermitted zoning use; the Department of Building and Zoning can pursue Article 13 enforcement, including fines and injunctive relief, and the operator would still need to secure the special-use approval and business occupancy retroactively to keep operating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a Supervised and Non-Supervised short-term rental?
Do I need a special-use permit to run an owner-occupied short-term rental?
What extra approval does a host-absent rental need?
Is there a limit on how many guests can stay?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cook County
Compare Cook County to another location·View the Illinois short-term rentals overview
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