Bellefontaine Short-Term Rental Regulations

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Permit & Licensing

Bellefontaine does not require a specific STR permit at this time. Check with local government for any zoning or business license requirements.

Tax Obligations

Combined rate: 10.25% of gross rental income.

Collection: Short-term rental owners/managers must register their property with Logan County and create an account on the county's designated lodging-tax collection platform (the Logan County STR portal). That account is used to report monthly lodging activity, remit the county's 3% lodging tax, keep contact/property information current, and submit exemption or audit documentation on request.

Filing: Monthly — due on or before the 20th day of the month following the reporting period (the Board may authorize less-frequent filing for vendors with low tax liability).

Rental Limits

Bellefontaine does not impose an annual cap on the number of nights you can rent.

Zoning & Restrictions

• Bellefontaine has no short-term rental, vacation rental, or transient-use zoning category.
• Chapter 1123 (Zoning Definitions) incorporates the citywide definitions in Chapter 1103, which defines only traditional categories — "Dwelling," "Hotel or motel," "Boarding or lodging house" (lodging for 5+ unrelated persons), and "Tourist home" (a resident family renting rooms in its own home to transients, i.e. a B&B) — with no separate short-term-rental or vacation-rental definition or use standard.
• A dwelling used as a short-term rental is therefore governed by the same general residential zoning district rules (permitted use, density, parking, etc.) as any other dwelling in that district.

Insurance & Safety

Insurance

Bellefontaine does not require short-term rental operators to carry specific insurance. Standard homeowner policies often exclude short-term rental activity, so many hosts obtain dedicated short-term rental or landlord liability coverage.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Failure to file a required Logan County lodging tax return: forfeit $100 for each day the return is late, up to a maximum of 10% of the total tax due, plus statutory interest under ORC 5703.47. If non-payment is determined to be fraudulent, an additional 25% penalty applies. Unpaid tax, penalties, and interest may be certified as a lien against the property (collected the same way as delinquent property taxes) or pursued through civil collection.

Market Snapshot

Demand context for Bellefontaine from official government and tourism statistics — the latest published annual figures, not a projection of rental income.

Figures are the latest annual statistics published by the linked official sources (retrieved 2026-07-13). Visitor counts cover the geography stated by each source, which can be wider than the city itself. Regulations above — not market conditions — determine whether and how you may operate.

Compliance Checklist

Follow these steps to legally operate a short-term rental in Bellefontaine:

1. Register for tax accounts. Set up lodging tax accounts with Logan County Auditor's Office.
2. Collect and remit taxes. 10.25% on all bookings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a permit to run an Airbnb in Bellefontaine?

Bellefontaine does not require a dedicated short-term rental permit, but you must register for and remit applicable lodging taxes. Confirm local zoning rules still allow short-term rentals at your property before listing.

Does Bellefontaine require a short-term rental to be your primary residence?

No. Bellefontaine does not impose a primary-residence requirement, so non-owner-occupied rentals are allowed.

How many days a year can you short-term rent in Bellefontaine?

Bellefontaine does not cap the number of nights per year you can short-term rent, though permitting, zoning, and occupancy rules still apply.

What taxes do you pay on a short-term rental in Bellefontaine?

Short-term rental stays in Bellefontaine are subject to a combined 10.25% in lodging taxes. This combines 7.25% Ohio State & Logan County Sales Tax (combined) + 3% Logan County Lodging Excise Tax. Hosts are legally responsible; many booking platforms collect and remit them automatically on the host's behalf.