Joliet does not impose a minimum-night requirement or an annual cap on the number of nights a registered short-term rental may host guests. Operators must hold a current Rental Registration Certificate from the Neighborhood Services Division, pay applicable hotel/motel and Illinois 6% hotel operators' occupation taxes, and comply with zoning and Type IV classification limits.
Unlike Chicago's detailed STR licensing framework, Joliet's published rental program does not set a minimum length of stay or a maximum number of rental nights per calendar year. Once an owner obtains a Rental Registration Certificate from the Neighborhood Services Division (Rental Property Owner Registration Form, Crime Free Addendum, NOPT Inspection Consent, $100 license fee), the property may host short-term guests subject to general property maintenance, zoning, building, and life-safety code compliance. Properties classified as Type IV under the City's property nuisance classification are ineligible for short-term rental registration, which is the primary structural limit on STR operations in Joliet. Illinois has no statewide STR preemption and does not cap nights, leaving the framework local. Operators must collect Joliet's hotel and motel tax and the Illinois Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax (35 ILCS 145, 6%) on all stays under 30 days, and may also be subject to Will County hotel-motel tax. Joliet has been refining its STR framework since 2021, so contact (815) 724-4090 before launch to confirm current zoning eligibility and tax filing obligations.
Because Joliet does not publish a night cap, the operational risk is operating without a valid Rental Registration Certificate, on a Type IV-classified property, or without remitting hotel/motel and 35 ILCS 145 Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax. Citations are issued by Neighborhood Services and the Illinois Department of Revenue collects unpaid state hotel tax with interest and penalties.
See how Joliet's night caps rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.