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

Codified Ordinances § 686B.03(a) bars any owner or operator from operating, renting, leasing, subleasing, licensing or sublicensing a dwelling unit as a short-term rental without a short-term rental license from the Commissioner. The application, filed on a Commissioner-supplied form, must include the owner's and operator's contact information, a local contact reachable for complaints, the property address, a dimensioned floor plan showing maximum guest count and emergency evacuation routes, a parking plan, proof of liability insurance of at least $500,000, proof of tax payment, a certificate of occupancy under Section 3105.11, and proof the dwelling is certified lead safe under Section 365.04.

Any changes to this information must be reported within seven days. Under § 686B.03(d), every application carries a $150 fee, licenses run annually from December 1 through November 30 (prorated for mid-year issuance), and are not transferable between people or premises. Renewal applications, also $150, must be filed between September 1 and November 1 of the expiration year, per § 686B.03(e), and are only granted if nothing has changed from the approved application. Operating without this license also triggers separate penalties under § 686B.99 and § 686B.991, and a suspended or revoked license can be appealed to the Board of Zoning Appeals within ten days.