Airbnb Rentals

<img class="alignright wp-image-5716 lazyload" title="Photo by Christopher Jolly on Unsplash" src="https://mallorylawoffice.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/christopher-jolly-616571-unsplash-e1543612023838.jpg" alt="Airbnb Rental" width="339" height="226" />

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?  Beginning January 1, 2019, the City of Columbus will require 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 (https://www.columbusunderground.com/city-council-approves-regulations-on-short-term-rentals-ls1), 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 one of our attorneys to ensure that you are in compliance with municipal ordinances, subdivision covenants, condominium declarations, and other laws and regulations which may affect your property.

This article is provided as a public service by Mallory Law Office, LLC. While the information on this site is about legal issues, it is not legal advice, legal counsel or legal representation. Because of the rapidly changing nature of the law and our reliance upon outside sources, we make no warranty or guarantee of the accuracy or reliability of information contained herein.