Short-Term Rental Penalty
Columbus City Codes § 598.20
in effect598.20 - Short-Term Rental Penalty
(A) Any person or entity who violates C.C.C. 598.04(F), shall be guilty of an unclassified misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). An offender who has been previously convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of C.C.C. 598.04(F) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree. Where a violation of C.C.C. 598.04(F) occurs in multiple listings, each listing shall constitute a separate offense. This is a strict liability offense. Any entity convicted under this section shall be subject to organizational criminal liability as contemplated by C.C.C. 2301.23.
(B) Any entity that violates C.C.C. 598.04(G), without first correcting or remedying the violation in a reasonable and timely manner, shall be guilty of an unclassified misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). An offender who has been previously convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of C.C.C. 598.04(G) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree. Where a violation of C.C.C. 598.04(G) occurs in multiple short-term rentals, each violation shall constitute a separate offense. Any entity convicted under this section shall be subject to organizational criminal liability as contemplated by C.C.C. 2301.23.
(C) Any person or entity who violates C.C.C. 598.02(A)(2) shall be guilty of an unclassified misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). An offender who has been previously convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of C.C.C. 598.02(A)(2) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree. In addition, all gross revenue or compensation from a reservation(s) or rental(s) that is obtained in violation of C.C.C. 598.02(A)(2) shall be remitted to the city of Columbus, subject to local and state laws governing forfeiture. This is a strict liability offense. Any entity convicted under this section shall be subject to organizational criminal liability as contemplated by C.C.C. 2301.23.
(D) Any person or entity who violates C.C.C. 598.16(B) shall be guilty of a minor misdemeanor. This is a strict liability offense. Any entity convicted under this section shall be subject to organizational criminal liability as contemplated by C.C.C. 2301.23.
(E) Any person or entity who violates C.C.C. 598.14(C) shall be guilty of a minor misdemeanor. This is a strict liability offense. Any entity convicted under this section shall be subject to organizational criminal liability as contemplated by C.C.C. 2301.23.
(Ord. No. 2145-2018, § 1, 7-30-2018; Ord. No. 1079-2019, § 1, 5-6-2019; Ord. No. 1959-2021, § 1, 7-12-2021)
Source: City of Columbus, City Codes and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/oh/columbus/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT5BURELICO_CH598HOMOSHRMREOP_598.20SHRMREPEFetched: 10/27/2026