Evanston Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps Rules (2026)

Unlike Chicago and many tourist markets, Evanston does not regulate short-term rentals through a per-unit annual night limit. Title 5 Chapter 9 of the City Code instead controls supply at the citywide level and through siting rules. Ordinance 2-O-26, which the City Council adopted 8-0 on February 24, 2026, set a hard citywide cap of one vacation rental for every 100 long-term rental units registered with the City. Based on roughly 14,450 long-term units on the registration rolls when the ordinance was drafted, City staff projected the cap would land at about 144 active STR licenses; once that ceiling is reached, additional applications go on a waitlist. The ordinance also imposes a 600-foot minimum separation between licensed short-term rentals and requires the property manager either to reside in Evanston or to live or maintain an office within three miles of the City. Section 5-9-3 still defines a short-term rental as a stay of fewer than 30 consecutive days, so any single guest stay of 30 or more nights falls outside Chapter 9 and is regulated as a long-term rental under Chapter 3. Because Chapter 9 does not publish a per-unit night cap, operators wishing to confirm whether a per-unit limit applies to a particular zoning district or future amendment should call Program Administrator Nishat Saric at (847) 448-4311 before listing.