New Columbus Ordinance Regulates AirBnB Rentals

Have you dreamed of making some extra money by renting your house on Airbnb to visiting fans coming to town for the next big concert or football weekend? As of January 1, 2019, the City of Columbus requires property owners to obtain a permit from the city before renting a property for less than 30 days.

The Columbus City Council passed Ordinance No. 2145-2018 on August 3, 2018, in response to the enormous growth in short-term rentals in the city via such platforms as Airbnb and Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO). According to Airbnb, approximately 700 hosts rented their Columbus properties in 2017 to over 60,000 visitors, generating a total of $6.5 million in income.

Under the new regulations, operators must be the owners or permanent occupant of the property to be rented. The permit application requires operators to provide, among other things, a list of all rentals owned by the operator, the rental’s number of guestrooms, the names of all hosting platforms used (such as Airbnb), proof of liability insurance, and an affidavit stating that the host and rental property are in compliance with all laws and regulations.

Fines will be imposed for non-compliance, and part of the permit fees will support affordable housing and home-ownership opportunities in the City of Columbus. Unlike other cities, Columbus has not limited short-term rentals to certain neighborhoods, capped the number of properties which can be rented by one owner, or established a maximum number of days which a property can be rented.

Columbus is not the only municipality to pass such an ordinance. Other cities have passed or are considering similar regulations, including Cleveland, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and New York.

The bottom line? Before you list your property rental, contact our office to ensure that you are in compliance with municipal ordinances, subdivision covenants, condominium declarations, and other laws and regulations which may affect your property.

A version of this post was originally published by Mallory Law Office, LLC.