🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Mayfield Heights, OH
Short-Term Rentals Face Shutdown in Mayfield Heights: New Ordinance Gets Tough
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Short-Term Rentals Face Shutdown in Mayfield Heights: New Ordinance Gets Tough
Mayfield Heights is making it clear: short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods are no longer welcome.
In a unanimous vote on May 28, City Council passed a new ordinance prohibiting short-term rentals—defined as stays of 30 days or fewer—in all U-1 residential zones. The move comes after growing concern about unregulated Airbnb and Vrbo properties operating quietly across the city. The city’s Building Director, Braden Thomas, estimated there are around 700 rental units, though he acknowledged the city doesn’t have a clear handle on how many are being used for short-term purposes.
That lack of oversight has made enforcement tough—until now.
The new law comes with teeth: violators will receive a warning first, but repeat offenses will be referred to Lyndhurst Municipal Court, where they could face a first-degree misdemeanor charge. Under Ohio law, that could mean up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. It’s one of the strictest local STR penalties in the region.
Councilman Michael Ballistrea took it a step further, urging the city to start proactively searching Airbnb and Vrbo listings to identify and notify violators before issues escalate. The message is clear: enforcement won’t be passive.
This ordinance may come as a shock to some hosts, especially those who’ve operated quietly or thought they were flying under the radar. But it didn’t come out of nowhere. Council had been wrestling with how to address STRs since at least late April, when concerns were raised about nuisance complaints and neighborhood disruption.
The heart of the issue is zoning. U-1 districts are residential by design—meant to preserve the character of neighborhoods, not convert homes into revolving doors of weekend visitors. City officials have emphasized that this isn’t an anti-rental move overall—longer-term rentals are still allowed. But short-term stays, often associated with noise, parties, and high turnover, crossed a line for many residents. The city’s new stance leaves little room for wiggle.
For STR operators in Mayfield Heights, the message is clear:
âś… check your zoning
âś… shut down your listings
âś… consider long-term rental options instead.
And while this may be the final word in Mayfield Heights for now, the STR debate is far from over in other Ohio communities.
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