Springfield, IL Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Code Section
- Springfield City Code Secs. 155.001 and 100.26
- B&B / tourist-home cap
- No more than 3 bedrooms rented to transient guests
- Owner-occupancy (B&B)
- Owner-occupied single-family detached residence
- Short-term threshold
- 30 consecutive days or fewer is taxable lodging
- General guest cap
- No fixed maximum-occupant number for non-B&B STRs
Summary
Springfield does not set a guest-headcount cap for short-term rentals. The zoning code (Sec. 155.001) limits a tourist home / bed-and-breakfast to an owner-occupied single-family residence renting no more than three bedrooms to transient guests, and the tax code (Sec. 100.26) treats stays of 30 days or fewer as taxable lodging.
Tourist home, bed and breakfast inns. An owner occupied single-family detached residence in which no more than three bedrooms are rented to transient guests on an overnight basis and in which breakfast only is served to overnight guests. ... There is levied and imposed a tax of 8% of the rent charged for the privilege and use of renting a hotel or motel room within the city for each 24-hour period or any portion thereof for which a daily room charge is made, provided that the tax shall not be levied and imposed on any person who rents a hotel or motel room for more than 30 consecutive days.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 82).
Full Breakdown
Springfield, Illinois regulates short-stay lodging through its zoning definitions and tax thresholds rather than a fixed maximum-occupant number. Chapter 155 (Zoning), Sec. 001, defines a 'Tourist home, bed and breakfast inns' as 'an owner occupied single-family detached residence in which no more than three bedrooms are rented to transient guests on an overnight basis,' which caps the most common owner-occupied short-term-lodging use at three rentable bedrooms. The Springfield Taxation Code, Sec. ' A renter who reaches the 31st consecutive day becomes a 'permanent resident' (Sec.
2) entitled to a refund or credit. The general zoning and building codes (bedroom egress, sanitation) govern raw occupancy; the code does not impose a separate per-bedroom or total-guest ceiling on non-B&B short-term rentals.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the three-bedroom limit for a tourist home/B&B converts the use to an unpermitted lodging use enforceable under the zoning code; renting beyond authorized zoning categories is a zoning violation subject to Chapter 155 enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many guests can a Springfield short-term rental hold?
When does a stay stop being a 'short-term' rental in Springfield?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Springfield
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