Columbus, OH Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Columbus, OH, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Before listing on any platform
- Fine per violation
- $250, per listing
- Background check
- BCI fingerprint check for host
- Permit term
- One year from issuance
Summary
Columbus requires every short-term rental host to obtain an annual city permit before listing a dwelling on Airbnb, Vrbo, or any booking platform, with a $250 fine per listing for skipping it.
No person or entity shall engage in, conduct, or carry on, or permit to be engaged in, conducted or carried on, in or upon any premises in the city of Columbus, the offering, listing, advertisement or marketing of a dwelling with five guestrooms or less on an entity's website for the purpose of offering to reserve or rent the dwelling, in whole or in part, to any other person, for a period of less than thirty (30) consecutive days, without obtaining a permit in accordance with this Chapter. This section shall not apply if such entity, via its website, does not receive compensation or a fee for the short-term reservation/rental. (Ord. No. 1921-2015, § 1, 11-16-2015; Ord. No. 2145-2018, § 1, 7-30-2018; Ord. No. 1079-2019, § 1, 5-6-2019; Ord. No. 1959-2021, § 1, 7-12-2021)
Editor's note— Section 3 of Ord. No. 2145-2018, adopted July 30, 2018 states "That section 598.02(A)(2) of this ordinance shall go into effect and be in effect from and after January 1, 2019. Any other provision of this ordinance notwithstanding, the Department of Public Safety is authorized to conduct any work necessary to implement the foregoing date."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Form Based Code: ?).
Full Breakdown
Any owner or permanent occupant who rents out a dwelling with five or fewer guestrooms for stays under 30 days must get a short-term rental permit from the Director of Building and Zoning Services before listing it. The notarized application goes to the City's License Section and requires a BCI fingerprint background check for the host, any property manager, and the 24-hour emergency contact. Permits run one year, carry an individual number that must appear on every hosting-platform listing, and hosting platforms themselves may not facilitate a booking without a valid permit number on file.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a permit or advertising an unpermitted rental online is a misdemeanor: $250 per violation, per listing, with all revenue from illegal bookings subject to forfeiture to the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to rent my house on Airbnb in Columbus?
What happens if I list without a permit?
How long does a Columbus short-term rental permit last?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbus
How Columbus compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Columbus to another location·View the Ohio short-term rentals overview
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