Des Plaines, IL Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Code Section
- Des Plaines Rental License Affidavit (Aug. 2023 CED Memo, Att. 1)
- Whole-Unit Rule
- Entire unit must be rented; no room rentals
- Prohibited Uses
- Hotel, motel, boarding/rooming house, transient lodging
- Conversion
- No conversion to multi-family dwelling
- Numeric Guest Cap
- None specific to STRs
Summary
A licensed Des Plaines rental zoned as a single-family dwelling may not operate as a hotel, motel, boarding house, rooming house, or transient lodging, may not be converted to multi-family use, and the entire unit (not individual rooms) must be rented.
That as the Owner of the property, I understand this Property is zoned and categorized as a Single-Family Dwelling and shall not include a hotel, motel, boarding house, rooming house, dormitory, nursing home, institution, or transient lodging. That as the Owner of the Property, I understand I am not permitted to rent rooms or portions of the house. That as the Owner of the Property, I understand that I am not permitted to convert or utilize this property as a Multi-Family Dwelling. That as the Owner of the Property, I understand additional legal action and/or immediate suspension/revocation of the rental property license may be taken against me should I or any tenant violate the requirements of the municipal codes pertaining to residential properties used as rentals and/or the zoning of the Property.
Full Breakdown
Des Plaines does not set a numeric guest cap specific to short-term rentals, but it imposes use and occupancy restrictions through the rental-license affidavit that every applicant must sign. ' Because individual-room rental is prohibited, an STR host must rent the entire dwelling unit to a single rental party. General occupancy and habitability standards for any dwelling continue to apply through the City's property-maintenance and housing code enforced by the Housing and Code Enforcement Division. No Des Plaines ordinance directly addresses a maximum number of overnight guests for a short-term rental.
Violations & Fines
Using a single-family rental as transient lodging, renting individual rooms, or converting the unit to multi-family use violates the sworn affidavit and the rental code and may result in additional legal action and immediate suspension or revocation of the rental property license, plus Administrative Hearing fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many guests can I host in a Des Plaines short-term rental?
Can I run my single-family home as a boarding house or rent rooms separately?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Des Plaines
Compare Des Plaines to another location·View the Illinois short-term rentals overview
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Occupancy Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle occupancy limits.