Cincinnati, OH Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Section 856-7 spells out exactly what a Cincinnati short-term rental operator must submit to register. Applications go through the city manager's office 'in the manner prescribed by the city manager or his or her designee,' and every applicant pays a registration fee set to recover the cost of running the program. The required information includes a current mailing address, phone number, emergency contact number, and email for both the operator and a locally based 'responsible person'; a current list of every hosting platform the unit is or will be listed on; a certification that the applicant is the legal owner or tenant with authority to operate the unit as a short-term rental; and a certification that the unit conforms to the Ohio Building Code, Residential Code of Ohio, and Cincinnati Building Code, to the Cincinnati Zoning Code and Land Development Code, to the Cincinnati Housing Code, and to the Cincinnati and Ohio Fire Codes.

Applicants must also show they're current on city taxes and utility payments, including the short-term rental excise tax, and must acknowledge Chapter 914's housing and public-accommodations discrimination rules and that Fair Housing Act training is available. Once a complete application is in, the city manager has 30 days to approve or deny it, and any denial must be in writing with specific reasons. An approved registration carries a unique registration number and stays valid for three years before it must be renewed under the separate renewal process in Section 856-11.