Cleveland, OH Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Before operating any short-term rental, § 686B.03(a)
- Application fee
- $150 per application, § 686B.03(d)
- License term
- Dec 1 – Nov 30, non-transferable
- Renewal window
- Sept 1 – Nov 1, $150 fee
- Liability insurance
- At least $500,000 required, § 686B.03(b)(7)
- Unlicensed operation fine
- $1,000 criminal + $5,000 civil fine
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to 6 months jail, § 686B.99(a)
Summary
Cleveland requires every short-term rental owner or operator to hold an annual license from the Commissioner before renting a dwelling unit, per Codified Ordinances § 686B.03. The application carries a $150 fee, due again at $150 for each annual renewal, and the license runs December 1 through November 30 and cannot be transferred between people or properties.
(a) No owner or operator shall operate, rent, lease, sublease, license or sublicense a dwelling unit as a short-term rental without a short-term rental license from the Commissioner. ... (d) Every short-term rental license application shall be accompanied by a fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00). Every license issued shall be given a license number. Licenses shall be valid for one year commencing on December 1, and shall expire on November 30 of the following year, unless sooner revoked by the Commissioner. The fees for the initial licensing year shall be prorated from the month of issuance until November 30 of that year. Licenses issued under this section are not transferrable from one person to another or from one premises to another.
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
Chapter 686B, added by Ordinance No. 03(a). 03(b). 04. Tenants applying must prove their lease allows subleasing. 03(c). 03(d); it runs from December 1 through November 30 of the following year, with first-year fees prorated from the month of issuance, and it is not transferable between owners or between properties. 03(e). 04, with a right to appeal a denial.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a license is a first-degree misdemeanor under § 686B.99(a), punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both. A separate civil penalty under § 686B.991(a) fines an unlicensed owner or operator $5,000, and advertising an unlicensed short-term rental costs $1,000 per violation, with each day of the ad counted separately, under § 686B.991(b). Completing a reservation without the required license draws a further $1,000 fine per offense under § 686B.991(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cleveland
How Cleveland compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·Compare Cleveland to another location·View the Ohio short-term rentals overview
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