Cincinnati Short-Term Rental Regulations

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Permit & Licensing

Short Term Rental Registration

Application Process

An application must be approved by the City prior to operation of any STR unit. The application is only available online at the City’s website. The application requires the following: Location and description of STR unit; Name and contact information of operator and responsible person; Information on hosting platforms used to rent STR unit; Certification of compliance with regulations and terms & conditions as listed on application. The City does not require inspections to verify compliance at this time. Payment of registration fee; Filing any past due STR excise tax returns and paying any past due STR excise taxes. The City has 30 days to review and approve or deny an application. An approved registration is valid for 3 years. Renewals should be submitted no earlier than 180 days and no later than 60 days before their expiration date.

Tax Obligations

Collection: Airbnb has entered into a voluntary collection agreement and will withhold and remit excise taxes on behalf of operators as of October 1, 2019. No other hosting platforms have entered into agreement at this time. Operator’s utilizing hosting platforms not in an agreement with the City will be required to report the appropriate tax at the rate of 7% of the gross revenues generated from operations.

Filing: Quarterly returns are due by the last day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter

Zoning & Restrictions

• No building may contain a greater number of short term rental units than set forth below, and no registration may issue to authorize the establishment of a short term rental in a building to the extent it would exceed the maximum number of short term rental units permitted: For buildings containing four or fewer dwelling units, there is no limit on the number of short term rentals that may be operated in the building.
• For buildings containing five or more dwelling units, four short term rentals plus one additional short term rental for every four dwelling units in excess of four dwelling units is permitted.
• For buildings containing dwellings units used as short term rentals on or before January 1, 2019, the greater of (i) the number of short term rentals permitted under subsections (b)(1) and (b)(2), as applicable; or (ii) the number of units used as short term rentals prior to January 1, 2019. No dwelling unit that receives affordable housing grants or credits from the federal, state, or local governments, or that meets any requirement applicable to the property in which the dwelling unit is located related to such affordable housing grants or credits, shall be registered as a short term rental.

Insurance & Safety

Insurance

Liability insurance is required for the property's use as a short-term rental.

Safety & Operating Requirements

• The operator shall prominently display an advisory adjacent to the short term rental registration, which advisory shall be in the form prescribed by the city manager or his or her designee and shall indicate the contact information for the responsible person, the contact information for the police department and fire department that serve the area in which the short term rental is located, the location of all means of egress from the short term rental, and a list activities and behaviors prohibited by city law that tend to be associated with the operation of short term rentals.
• The short term rental shall be maintained and operated in accordance with applicable building codes, zoning codes, housing codes, fire codes, and the provisions of this chapter.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

• Failure to Obtain a Short Term Rental Registration: Class C $300; Subsequent Offense: Class D $750
• Failure to Provide Registration Number on a Listing Advertising a Short Term Rental: Class A $75
• Violation of Limitations on Operators or Operation of Short Term Rentals: Class D $750
• Short Term Rental Excise Tax: Class C1 $500; the otherwise applicable civil fine is reduced by 50% if the person charged shows that the violation has been corrected.

Platform Requirements

• All hosting platforms through which short term rentals within the city are listed, advertised, solicited, or otherwise held out for rent shall provide the following information to the city manager or his or her designee on a quarterly basis: The total number and location of short term rentals listed on the platform during the applicable reporting period
• The total number of nights that each listing on the platform was rented to guests during the applicable reporting period
• And The total amount of tax collected and remitted by the hosting platform to the city during the applicable reporting period. All hosting platforms through which short term rentals within the city are listed, advertised, solicited, or otherwise held out for rent shall provide a field on the platform to allow operators to input short term rental registration numbers.

Compliance Checklist

1. Meet the safety requirements
   • The operator shall prominently display an advisory adjacent to the short term rental registration, which advisory shall be in the form prescribed by the city manager or his or her designee and shall indicate the contact information for the responsible person, the contact information for the police department and fire department that serve the area in which the short term rental is located, the location of all means of egress from the short term rental, and a list activities and behaviors prohibited by city law that tend to be associated with the operation of short term rentals.
   • The short term rental shall be maintained and operated in accordance with applicable building codes, zoning codes, housing codes, fire codes, and the provisions of this chapter.
2. Apply for the permit
   • $250
   • How to apply: An application must be approved by the City prior to operation of any STR unit. The application is only available online at the City’s website. The application requires the following: Location and description of STR unit; Name and contact information of operator and responsible person; Information on hosting platforms used to rent STR unit; Certification of compliance with regulations and terms & conditions as listed on application. The City does not require inspections to verify compliance at this time. Payment of registration fee; Filing any past due STR excise tax returns and paying any past due STR excise taxes. The City has 30 days to review and approve or deny an application. An approved registration is valid for 3 years. Renewals should be submitted no earlier than 180 days and no later than 60 days before their expiration date.
3. Register for tax
   • Cincinnati Short Term Rental Excise Tax: register with City of Cincinnati
4. Collect and remit tax
   • Filing schedule: Quarterly returns are due by the last day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter
   • How the tax is collected: Airbnb has entered into a voluntary collection agreement and will withhold and remit excise taxes on behalf of operators as of October 1, 2019. No other hosting platforms have entered into agreement at this time. Operator’s utilizing hosting platforms not in an agreement with the City will be required to report the appropriate tax at the rate of 7% of the gross revenues generated from operations.
5. Renew your permit
   • $250

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a permit to run a short-term rental in Cincinnati?

Yes.

Permit: Short Term Rental Registration

How to apply: An application must be approved by the City prior to operation of any STR unit. The application is only available online at the City’s website. The application requires the following: Location and description of STR unit; Name and contact information of operator and responsible person; Information on hosting platforms used to rent STR unit; Certification of compliance with regulations and terms & conditions as listed on application. The City does not require inspections to verify compliance at this time. Payment of registration fee; Filing any past due STR excise tax returns and paying any past due STR excise taxes. The City has 30 days to review and approve or deny an application. An approved registration is valid for 3 years. Renewals should be submitted no earlier than 180 days and no later than 60 days before their expiration date.

How much does a short-term rental permit cost in Cincinnati?

Initial fee (Short Term Rental Registration): $250

Renewal fee (Short Term Rental Registration): $250

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

Cincinnati Short Term Rental Excise Tax: 7%

Filing schedule: Quarterly returns are due by the last day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter

How the tax is collected: Airbnb has entered into a voluntary collection agreement and will withhold and remit excise taxes on behalf of operators as of October 1, 2019. No other hosting platforms have entered into agreement at this time. Operator’s utilizing hosting platforms not in an agreement with the City will be required to report the appropriate tax at the rate of 7% of the gross revenues generated from operations.

What are the penalties for short-term rental violations in Cincinnati?

Penalty: Failure to Obtain a Short Term Rental Registration: Class C $300.00; Subsequent Offense: Class D $750.00

Penalty: Failure to Provide Registration Number on a Listing Advertising a Short Term Rental: Class A $75.00

Penalty: Violation of Limitations on Operators or Operation of Short Term Rentals: Class D $750.00

Penalty: Short Term Rental Excise Tax: Class C1 $500.00; the otherwise applicable civil fine is reduced by 50% if the person charged shows that the violation has been corrected.