Bulletin - Cleveland Heights, OH News Today
Ordinance 190-2023 would create a new Chapter 769 requiring annual registration for Airbnb, Vrbo and other hosts with a 50% cap in multifamily buildings and a ban on rentals in ADUs and carriage houses.
Cleveland Heights Short-Term Rental Ordinance Reaches Fourth Reading After Nearly Three Years in Draft
Ordinance 190-2023 would create a new Chapter 769 requiring annual registration for Airbnb, Vrbo and other hosts with a 50% cap in multifamily buildings and a ban on rentals in ADUs and carriage houses.
Photo from https://www.clevelandheights.gov/
Cleveland Heights City Council listed Ordinance 190-2023 for a fourth reading as amended at its September 22 meeting, moving the city closer to a new Chapter 769 that would require short-term rental operators to register every year with a report that a final vote could come within the month. The ordinance covers houses, apartments and rooms rented for fewer than 30 days and would bring roughly 200 known rentals under oversight in one of the few Cuyahoga County communities without targeted rules.
September 2026 Cleveland Heights memo outlining proposed registration, operating standards and enforcement rules for short-term rentals. | Source: https://clevelandheightsoh.portal.civicclerk.com/
From 2023 draft to fourth reading
Council President Tony Cuda introduced the ordinance in November 2023 and it was tabled in 2024 after three readings according to Councilwoman Sarah Stone who joined council in February and now co-sponsors the bill. Stone chairs the Housing and Building Committee which held a public input session on September 15.
Cleveland Heights City Council’s September 15, 2026 legislative packet containing proposed ordinances and supporting documents. | Source: https://clevelandheightsoh.portal.civicclerk.com/
What annual registration requires
A September 9 memo from Stone to council says applicants must supply owner and operator contact details, proof of liability insurance, proof that county property taxes and any city abatement payments are current and evidence that the unit meets density standards.
At the September 15 session, Stone said hosts must also name a Cuyahoga County resident reachable 24 hours a day, state how many cars fit off the street and display the registration number in listings and inside the unit. She put the insurance requirement at up to $1 million per occurrence and said the city will charge no registration fee.
Where rentals are limited
Short-term rentals could take up no more than 50% of the units in a multifamily building and occupancy would be capped at two guests per bedroom plus three. The memo bars them from units receiving affordable housing assistance and from carriage houses and accessory dwelling units while existing rentals that exceed the density limit could keep operating in their current configuration for two years.
Fines and revocation
A first violation carries a $250 fine that the memo says must be paid within seven days or it becomes a second violation although Stone told the September 15 session the window was 30 days. Further violations revoke registration for six months then 12 months and then permanently. Violations are minor misdemeanors with fines of up to $250 and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. Stone said Airbnb and Expedia Group will pull listings whose registrations are revoked.
Tax shelved
Earlier drafts included a 3% transient occupancy tax paid by guests but the administration recommended postponing it. Stone said Airbnb counts about 140 listings in the city and other platforms roughly 45 more.
⦾ Status: Ordinance 190-2023 (new Chapter 769) listed for fourth reading as amended on September 22, 2026; final vote pending
⦾ Scope: Houses, apartments and rooms rented for fewer than 30 days; no minimum stay
⦾ Registration: Annual, with renewal; no fee according to Stone; number shown in listings and inside the unit
⦾ Documentation: Owner and operator contacts, liability insurance, current county property taxes and city abatement payments, density compliance
⦾ Local contact: Cuyahoga County resident reachable 24 hours a day
⦾ Occupancy: Two guests per bedroom plus three
⦾ Density: Maximum 50% of units in a multifamily building; two years for existing non-compliant rentals
⦾ Prohibited locations: Affordable housing assisted units, carriage houses and ADUs
⦾ Penalties: $250 first-violation fine; six-month, 12-month and permanent revocation for second, third and fourth violations; minor misdemeanor, each day a separate offense
⦾ Tax: 3% transient occupancy tax postponed
⦾ Platform responsibility: Airbnb and Expedia Group to remove listings whose registrations are revoked
Official Cleveland Heights FAQ with current details on the city’s proposed short-term rental regulations.
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