Cleveland, OH Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)
Key Facts
- Automatic revocation trigger
- 3+ nuisance activities in 12 months
- One-strike offenses
- Riot, assault, weapons violations, violent crime
- Proof needed
- Complaints alone: no conviction required
- Appeal window
- 10 days to Board of Zoning Appeals
- Reapplication wait
- 1 year after revocation
Summary
Cleveland must revoke a short-term rental license once three or more nuisance activities happen at the property within any 12-month span, even if the property was never formally declared a nuisance. A single violent crime, weapons offense or riot-related charge at the property triggers automatic revocation on its own.
A license shall be revoked, without limitation: (1) if three (3) or more nuisance activities, as defined in Section 630.01, have occurred on or from the licensed property within a 12-month period, even if the licensed property has not been declared a nuisance under these Codified Ordinances;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-28: Current through legislation passed September 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
04(d) makes revocation mandatory, not discretionary, once a licensed short-term rental crosses either of two thresholds. 01 occurring on or from the licensed property within a rolling 12-month period force revocation, even if the city never separately declared the property a nuisance under the Codified Ordinances. 01. Crucially, the section says a criminal conviction, citation, or arrest is not necessary for an activity to count, complaints to the Division of Assessments and Licenses, the Division of Police, Building and Housing, Public Health or the Division of Fire are enough to build the record.
The Commissioner may also revoke every other short-term rental license the same owner or operator holds citywide once one property is revoked. A revoked host can't reapply for that same property for one full year, and the licensee can't operate while a revocation is on appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Violations & Fines
Revocation is the built-in penalty here: a licensee who loses a license under § 686B.04(d) can appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals in writing within 10 days, but cannot operate the property as a short-term rental while that appeal is pending. If the Board upholds the revocation, the owner or operator must wait a full year from the revocation date before reapplying for that same property.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does it take to lose a Cleveland STR license?
Can one serious incident revoke a Cleveland short-term rental license?
Can a revoked Cleveland host get a new license somewhere else?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cleveland
Compare Cleveland to another location·View the Ohio short-term rentals overview
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