Short-term rental permit rules in McHenry County, IL — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
In unincorporated McHenry County, a furnished home may be rented short-term up to 12 rental periods or 90 days a year by right; exceeding those limits requires a conditional use permit. Cities like Crystal Lake and Woodstock require their own permits.
The McHenry County Unified Development Ordinance regulates "Vacation Rentals" in unincorporated areas. They are allowed by right in agricultural, residential, and B-1 zoning districts up to the annual caps; a Vacation Rental exceeding 12 rentals or 90 days per year must obtain a conditional use permit before occupancy under UDO §16.56.030.VV. Incorporated municipalities set stricter rules: Crystal Lake requires a limited-use permit for a "tourist home," and Woodstock requires a bed-and-breakfast special use permit or a short-term rental certificate plus a home-occupation license.
Operating an unincorporated vacation rental beyond the by-right caps without a conditional use permit is a UDO zoning violation subject to enforcement and daily fines. Woodstock STR certificate violations carry escalating fines of $500, $750, then $1,000.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Crystal Lake collects yard waste and food-scrap compost weekly at the curb from April 1 through November 30. Leaves and grass must go in biodegradable paper ...
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Crystal Lake and McHenry County have no ordinance specifically banning or approving residential artificial turf. Installations must still meet Unified Develo...
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Illinois' Homeowners' Native Landscaping Act bars community associations from banning native-species plantings that are kept free of weeds and don't encroach...
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Neither Crystal Lake nor McHenry County prohibits residential rain barrels or rainwater collection, and Illinois has no statewide ban. The McHenry County Sto...
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Crystal Lake uses a color-coded water-conservation system. During a declared 'Yellow' condition, odd-numbered addresses water on odd dates and even addresses...
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Crystal Lake Chapter 526 lists noxious weeds - burdock, ragweed, thistle, poison ivy, wild mustard and others - plus any unmanaged vegetation as nuisance gre...
See how McHenry County's permit requirements rules stack up against other locations.
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