Cook County, IL Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Event curfew
- No events 11 PM–8 AM
- Attendee ratio
- 2 attendees per guest, max 24
- Annual cap
- 4 private events per year
- Max event length
- 48 hours per event
- Sewer requirement
- Public sewer connection required
- Ownership change
- 10%+ change voids special use
Summary
In unincorporated Cook County, a Non-Supervised short-term rental, one where the host isn't present, may host private events only under strict zoning conditions. Zoning Ordinance § 8.7.11.B.b.v bans events between 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., caps attendees at a 2:1 ratio to registered guests (24 max), and limits any one rental to four events a year.
v.Private Events. The intended use of a Non-Supervised Short-term rental is for temporary lodging and not a venue for events or assembly. However, private events may take place at Non-Owner Supervised Short-term Rentals and shall adhere to the following conditions:1.Events are prohibited to occur outside the hours of 11:00 PM and 8:00 AM.2.Event attendees to Short-term Rental Guest ratio shall not exceed 2:1. No more than 24 event attendees are permitted, not including Short-term Rental Guest.3.The Short-term Rental shall not host more than four private events per calendar year. Each event shall not exceed a 48-hour period.4.The Short-term Rental shall be serviced by a public sewer connection to provide capacity for assembly-type uses.
Full Breakdown
Cook County's Zoning Ordinance of 2001, comprehensively re-adopted by Ord. No. 25-0036 on April 10, 2025, treats short-term rentals as either Supervised (host present) or Non-Supervised (host absent). Supervised rentals need only a home-based business occupancy; Non-Supervised rentals must obtain a special use permit under Article 13 in addition to a business occupancy, and that special use is automatically voided if ownership of the dwelling changes by ten percent or more. m. Attendance is capped at a 2-to-1 ratio of event attendees to paying Short-term Rental Guests, with an absolute ceiling of 24 attendees not counting the guests themselves.
A single rental may host no more than four private events per calendar year, each capped at 48 hours, and the property must be served by a public sewer connection to support assembly-type use. D bars hosting more than one reservation at a time. 2, none of this reaches Chicago or Cook County's 130-plus incorporated municipalities, which set their own short-term rental rules.
Violations & Fines
Hosting a private event outside the 11:00 p.m.–8:00 a.m. curfew, exceeding the 2:1/24-person attendee cap, running more than four events a year, or operating a Non-Supervised rental without the required special use permit violates § 8.7.11 and can draw a cease-and-desist order, citation, and revocation of the special use permit from the Department of Building and Zoning; a 10-percent-or-greater ownership change automatically voids any special use already granted, requiring reapplication before events or rentals may continue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Cook County short-term rental host a party after midnight?
How many guests can attend an event at a Non-Supervised rental?
Do Supervised short-term rentals need the same special use permit?
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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