Cleveland, OH Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)

Section 686B.03(b)(7) of the Codified Ordinances makes liability insurance a mandatory piece of every short-term rental license application in Cleveland. An applicant must submit proof of liability insurance for the short-term rental itself, or, alternatively, proof that the short-term rental and the owner or operator are named insureds under a booking agent's liability policy, meaning a host listing through a platform that carries its own host-protection coverage can satisfy the rule that way instead of buying a separate policy. Either route, the coverage limit can't be less than $500,000.

This sits alongside ten other required application items under § 686B.03(b): owner, operator and local-contact identification and phone numbers; the rental's street address; a dimensioned floor plan showing maximum guest count and bedrooms; a parking plan; proof of a valid sublease authorization for tenant-applicants; proof that real estate and transient occupancy taxes are current; a certificate of occupancy under § 3105.11; and a lead-safe certification under § 365.04. All of that documentation, insurance included, must be updated within seven days of any change under § 686B.03(c), so a lapse or downgrade in coverage has to be reported to the Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses on that same short clock.

The Commissioner, the Department of Building and Housing, the City Planning Commission, the Department of Public Health and the Department of Public Safety all review the file before a license issues under § 686B.04.