Highland Park, IL Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Section 150.430 of the Highland Park Zoning Code, adopted as part of the City's regulated rental program on November 9, 2020, defines a short-term rental as the accessory use of a dwelling unit for overnight accommodation available to transient guests for periods shorter than 30 consecutive days. Every owner must register the unit with the Community Development Department before the first rental and on or before April 1 of each calendar year the unit is rented; the registration fee under Chapter 154 (Residential Rental Certificate of Registration Program) is $30 per unit. The ordinance also obligates the owner, before the first rental of a calendar year, to deliver written notice to the owners of every property contiguous to the STR and to provide each STR lessee with copies or summaries of the City's nuisance, solid waste and recycling, parking, and short-term rental regulations. Highland Park does not publish a stand-alone numeric overnight occupancy cap in Section 150.430 itself; instead, the maximum number of overnight guests for a particular unit is governed by the certificate of occupancy and the property maintenance/life-safety standards (minimum sleeping-room floor area and means of egress) administered by the Building Division. As of March 2026 the City Council was considering additional STR guardrails, including primary-residence documentation and limits on investor-owned rentals, signaling tighter enforcement going forward. Operators should confirm the unit's permitted overnight occupancy with the Building Division (847-432-0808) before listing on Airbnb or Vrbo.