Key Takeaways

  • Cleveland City Council advanced STR legislation after six years, moving toward licensing and density restrictions.
  • The city currently has zero regulations, allowing short-term rentals to operate without oversight or accountability.
  • A February shooting at an Airbnb party and escalating complaints are driving council urgency to pass rules before June.

Cleveland City Council is moving ahead with short-term rental regulation after six years of failed attempts.

The legislation advanced Tuesday through the council’s Development, Planning and Sustainability Committee, marking what Councilman Kris Harsh called “major, major strides towards regulations, something we have zero of right now.”

Short-term rentals currently operate without any city regulation, which council members described as “wildly and lawlessly.”

According to News 5 Cleveland WEWS, Councilman Austin Davis said every other major city in America has found a way to balance regulation of platforms like Airbnb and VRBO, and Cleveland is about to join their ranks.

What operators face under the proposal

The legislation will likely require hosts to obtain city licenses, register properties, and comply with occupancy limits.

Earlier versions of the ordinance proposed a $150 annual fee and a 3% bed tax on short-term rental stays.

The push intensified after a February shooting at an Airbnb party on Franklin Boulevard, after which Airbnb removed the booking account.

Davis wants consequences that follow problematic owners across all their properties, telling reporters “If there’s a shooting at one property, that owner needs to feel something across the board.”

Amendments are coming, said Majority Leader Jasmin Santana, following Monday’s meetings between council members and the city’s attorneys.

Related: Ohio township sues STR operator after party shooting at rental home

Cleveland has tried to regulate short-term rentals since 2020, but previous attempts stalled over concerns about enforcement capacity and neighborhood impact.

The renewed effort comes as complaints over noise, parties, and violence continue to escalate across residential areas now dotted with unlicensed STR properties. Council aims to pass the ordinance before summer recess in June.