🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Ohio State

A Deep Dive into Your Area’s STR Updates — Helping You Navigate the Ever-Changing Rental Landscape.

New Bill Targets Short-Term Rentals with Statewide Tax Shakeup

Big changes may be coming for short-term rentals (STRs) in Ohio. State lawmakers are pushing forward with House Bill 161, a proposal aimed squarely at short-term rental taxation. If passed, the bill could bring in a hefty $21 to $90 million annually in combined state, county, and local tax revenue from STR stays.

But it’s not just about money. HB 161 is part of a larger movement at the state level to take control of how short-term rentals—think Airbnb, VRBO, and similar platforms—are taxed and regulated. The bill itself focuses solely on taxation. It proposes increasing sales, use, and lodging taxes on short-term rentals—defined as properties with fewer than five rooms rented for 30 days or less.

Rep. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond), one of the bill’s sponsors, says the goal is to lean into tourism dollars to fund government services and offset the need for higher income and property taxes.

“Does this raise taxes a little bit? Yes, but we’re talking about raising taxes on tourism to our state,” Bird explained in sponsor testimony last month.

While HB 161 addresses taxes, other companion bills in the House and Senate aim to severely limit what local governments can do to control STRs in their communities. The proposed legislation would block local governments from putting several types of rules in place when it comes to short-term rentals. Specifically, it would prevent cities and towns from:

✅ Banning short-term rentals altogether

✅ Setting up a lottery system to decide who can operate an STR

✅ Using zoning laws to limit or prohibit STRs in residential neighborhoods

✅ Capping how many STRs a single person can own or manage

✅ Requiring property owners to live on-site in order to rent it out short-term

However, not all local oversight would be erased. The bills still allow communities to impose basic health and safety regulations, and charge a modest licensing fee—capped at $20—to support that oversight.

In a nutshell, this legislative package signals a shift toward statewide control and uniformity when it comes to STRs, at the cost of local autonomy.

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