Do I need to register a short-term rental in Chicago?

Yes. A registration or licence must be in place in Chicago before the property is let.

How many nights a year can I let a short-term rental in Chicago?

No annual night limit is recorded at this level in Chicago.

Is there an accommodation tax on short-term rentals in Chicago?

No accommodation tax is recorded at this level in Chicago.

Are local council rules for Chicago included here?

Yes. The rules shown for Chicago are the ones that bind an operator at this level, last checked 2026-09-01.

Short-term rental rules in Chicago

Last checked 2026-09-01. Jurisdiction code US-IL-CHI.

Registration or licence	Required before letting
Night limit	No limit recorded at this level

What this means in practice

Illinois leaves short-stay regulation to cities and counties, so the rules that bind this property are local. They are not held in Cuvanti for this location.
The state lodging tax for Illinois has NOT been verified by Cuvanti, so no rate is shown. This does not mean no tax is due. Check with the state revenue department and your city before pricing.
Every shared housing unit in Chicago needs an approved registration number before it can be listed on a platform, for any letting of 31 days or fewer. The annual registration payment is US$250 and registrations must be renewed every year.
A host approved for MORE THAN ONE registration must also hold a Shared Housing Unit Operator Licence. Only one licence is needed per host, but every unit still needs its own registration. Cuvanti has NOT verified the licence fee, so no amount is shown.
Chicago restricts short-term letting by PLACE rather than by nights. There is no annual night cap and no requirement that the property be your home.
Two lists decide whether you may operate at all. The Prohibited Buildings List holds buildings whose owners have asked the city to bar short-term letting, and Restricted Residential Zones permit only lettings of more than 32 days. Cuvanti cannot resolve either from an address, and the city checks both automatically when you apply. Check them before you buy or sign a lease, not after.
Taxes are 4.5% Chicago Hotel Accommodation Tax plus a 6% Shared Housing Surcharge. Note that widely circulated guides give a 4% surcharge and a 17.4% hotel tax: those figures do not match the city's own page and should not be used for pricing.
Where the booking is taken through a licensed intermediary platform, the platform remits both the tax and the surcharge for you. Where you take the booking on your OWN platform, you must open a tax account with the city and remit them yourself.
An application refused for eligibility can be appealed, and in some cases a Commissioner's Adjustment can be requested to seek an exception.

Cuvanti tracks this for your properties automatically

Night limits count across every channel you are connected to, not one platform at a time, which is the only way the number means anything. Cuvanti warns you before a booking would breach a limit, and tells you when a rule in your market changes.

See how it works

Common questions about short-term rentals in Chicago

Do I need to register a short-term rental in Chicago?: Yes. A registration or licence must be in place in Chicago before the property is let.
How many nights a year can I let a short-term rental in Chicago?: No annual night limit is recorded at this level in Chicago.
Is there an accommodation tax on short-term rentals in Chicago?: No accommodation tax is recorded at this level in Chicago.
Are local council rules for Chicago included here?: Yes. The rules shown for Chicago are the ones that bind an operator at this level, last checked 2026-09-01.

This is not legal advice. It covers registration, night limits and accommodation taxes for the markets Cuvanti has configured, and does not cover every local rule, including planning controls, building and fire safety requirements, and strata or body corporate by-laws. Check your own obligations with a local adviser before you let.