Chicago does not impose a numeric annual night cap on registered shared housing units, but it sets a two-night minimum stay (no single-night rentals) and defines a shared housing unit as transient occupancy under 32 consecutive days. Stays of 32 or more consecutive days are treated as permanent occupancy and fall outside the STR rules.
Chicago Municipal Code Chapter 4-13 defines a shared housing unit as a dwelling unit (with six or fewer sleeping rooms) rented for transient occupancy by guests, and defines permanent occupancy as occupancy for 32 or more consecutive days. Any stay shorter than 32 days falls under the Shared Housing Ordinance and Chapter 4-14 vacation-rental rules. The City and Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection have implemented a minimum two-night stay (no single-night bookings) for shared housing units. Unlike cities such as San Francisco (90 nights) or Boston, Chicago does not currently set a numeric annual cap on the number of nights a registered, primary-residence shared housing unit may be rented. Instead, the City controls volume through the primary-residence requirement (host must live there 245+ days/year), the one-rental-per-2-to-5-unit-building rule, and the 25% or 6-unit cap in larger multifamily buildings. The 17.4% combined Hotel Accommodations Tax applies to every booked night. Hosts should confirm any added platform-imposed limits and any building-level restrictions with BACP at 312-74-GOHELP.
Accepting single-night bookings, or operating beyond a stay length consistent with the shared housing classification (for example, structuring stays to evade the 32-day permanent-occupancy threshold), is enforced by BACP under MCC 4-13 and 4-14 and is generally subject to fines of $1,500 to $3,000 per offense, with each day a separate violation.
Chicago, IL
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Cook County.
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