Cleveland, OH Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Occupancy cap
- 2 guests per bedroom + 2
- Enforcing agency
- Commissioner of Assessments & Licenses
- First-offense fine
- $1,000 civil penalty
- Repeat-offense fine
- $3,000 civil penalty
- Effective date
- November 28, 2026
Summary
Cleveland caps overnight occupancy in a licensed short-term rental at two guests per bedroom, plus two additional people. The Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses must print that maximum on the license itself, and a below-grade room can't count as a bedroom unless it meets the city's habitable-room standards. The rule takes effect November 28, 2026.
(b) The maximum number of persons permitted overnight in a short-term rental is two (2) per bedroom, plus two (2) additional persons. ... (e) A room located below grade shall not be used as a bedroom, unless it meets the requirements for habitable rooms below grade as set forth in Section 369.02 of these Codified Ordinances.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-28: Current through legislation passed September 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
06(b), enacted by Ordinance No. 561-2026 (passed June 1, 2026, effective November 28, 2026), sets the overnight headcount for any licensed short-term rental at two persons per bedroom plus two additional occupants: a two-bedroom unit tops out at six overnight guests. 02(b) as a room used for sleeping, separated from the rest of the unit by a functional door, and not a kitchen, bathroom, living room, closet, hallway, utility space, entryway, garage, patio or breezeway. 02. 04(c)(6), so the number posted at the property is the enforceable ceiling, not a marketing figure.
03(b)(5) showing the proposed maximum number of transient guests, bedroom count, other living spaces, safety-feature locations and evacuation routes, which the Department of Building and Housing, City Planning Commission, Department of Public Health and Department of Public Safety all review before the Commissioner can issue or renew the license. 06(b) formula once the chapter takes effect.
Violations & Fines
Operating in violation of the § 686B.06 standards, including the occupancy cap, carries a civil fine of $1,000 for a first offense and $3,000 for each subsequent offense under § 686B.991(e), assessed by the Commissioner, the Director of Building and Housing, the Director of Public Health or the Director of Public Safety. Civil penalties can be appealed to the administrative officer within 10 days, then to the Board of Zoning Appeals within 30 days of that decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many guests can stay overnight in a Cleveland short-term rental?
Does a basement bedroom count toward the occupancy limit?
What happens if a Cleveland host exceeds the occupancy limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cleveland
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Occupancy Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cuyahoga County handle occupancy limits.