Chicago, IL Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Chicago, IL, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Registration required
- before any ad, listing, or booking
- Issued by
- Dept. of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection
- Renewal
- annually, non-transferable
- Pre-registration ads/bookings
- unlawful
- Review scope
- zoning, prohibited buildings, restricted zones
Summary
Chicago requires every shared housing host to register each rental unit with the city, obtain a unique registration number, and post it before advertising or booking.
Registration with the department required. No shared housing host shall advertise for rent, list on a platform, rent, or book for future rental any shared housing unit or portion thereof until such shared housing host...(1) registers such unit with the department by submitting...a registration application...and (2) is issued a unique registration number by the department for the shared housing unit...and (3) includes such registration number in any advertisement for rent, listing on a platform, rental agreement, or booking for future rental pertaining to such shared housing unit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-74: Current through Council Journal of June 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under MCC 4-14-020, a host cannot advertise, list on a platform, rent, or book a shared housing unit until it is registered with the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection and assigned a unique registration number, which must appear on every listing, ad, rental agreement, and booking. Each registration triggers a zoning-compliance review, a check against the city's prohibited buildings list, and a check against restricted residential zones. Registration is unit-specific, non-transferable, must be renewed annually, and carries the fee set in Section 4-5-010. Advertising or renting while a registration is still pending is a separate violation.
Violations & Fines
Advertising, listing, or booking a shared housing unit before registration is approved, or without posting the registration number, is unlawful under 4-14-020(g); violations of Chapter 4-14 carry fines under 4-14-090 and can lead to registration suspension or revocation under 4-14-080.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I list my unit while my registration is pending?
Does the registration number have to be shown publicly?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chicago
How Chicago compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Chicago to another location·View the Illinois short-term rentals overview
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Short-Term Rental Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle short-term rental permits.