§ 598.03. Application for Hotel/Motel or Short-Term Rental Permit, New and Renewal  


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  • (A)

    Application for a new hotel/motel or short-term rental permit, and/or for renewal of a permit, shall be made to the Director, upon approved forms, executed by the License Section. The Director shall establish associated permit fees and costs, with a portion of the short-term rental permit fees supporting affordable housing and home-ownership opportunities in the City of Columbus.

    (B)

    The application for a permit to operate a hotel/motel or short-term rental shall contain the following information:

    (1)

    Name of the applicant, including mailing address, telephone number, and email address. If the applicant is a corporation, firm, partnership, association, organization or other group acting as a unit, the applicant shall provide the name of the entity set forth exactly as shown on is articles of incorporation, mailing address, telephone number, and email address of an individual who is the statutory agent, president, or managing individual, the state in which the company is incorporated or registered, and the entity or corporation number;

    For an owner-occupied short-term rental application, the permanent occupant shall provide sufficient information to demonstrate compliance with the primary residency requirement as outlined in section 598.01(D);

    (2)

    Name of hotel/motel or short-term rental, including address, telephone number, and email address;

    (3)

    The legal owner or owners of the property, including mailing address, telephone number, and email address. If the property owner is a corporation, firm, partnership, association, organization or other group acting as a unit, the applicant shall provide the name of the entity set forth exactly as shown on is articles of incorporation as well as the mailing address, telephone number, and email address of an individual who is the statutory agent, president, or managing individual, the state in which the company is incorporated or registered, and the entity or corporation number;

    (4)

    If an owner of the property has executed a land contract, lease agreement, management agreement, or any other agreement separating the owner from control over the property and/or the hotel/motel or short-term rental, the applicant shall include a copy of said agreement along with the application;

    (5)

    The names and addresses of any other hotel/motels or short-term rentals located in City of Columbus that the applicant or property owner has any interest in, including, but not limited to, ownership, licensure, or management;

    (6)

    Name of the hotel/motel operator or short-term rental host, including mailing address, telephone number, and email address;

    (7)

    The number of guestrooms in service in the hotel/motel or short-term rental;

    (8)

    The names of all hosting platforms that are used by any short-term rental host and proof of liability insurance for the unit rental as required by CCC §598.04(7)(a)(i);

    (9)

    A short-term rental host's permit application shall contain a notarized affidavit affirming that the host and short-term rental are in compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations. A notarized application affirming compliance is sufficient to meet this requirement.

    (10)

    An notarized affirmation that a completed background check by the hosting platform or, in the instance where no hosting platform is used or the hosting platform does not complete a background check, the results of a background check performed by a BCI approved background check provider. Such background check will be at applicant's personal expense.

    (C)

    The applicant must notify the Director of any change in information contained in the permit application within ten (10) days of the change.

    (D)

    Any change in ownership of the hotel, the building, the dwelling or the business, change in hotel operator, or change in name of the hotel, or short-term rental host shall void the current permit and shall require submission of a new application and the issuance of a new permit.

    (E)

    A short-term rental shall be assigned an individual permit account number that must be prominently posted with the unit on a hosting platform. Said valid permit shall be displayed but removed upon expiration. Those failing to display the permit are in violation of section 598.11(A); those found to be operating with an expired permit are in violation of section 598.15 (A).

(Ord. No. 1921-2015 , § 1, 11-16-2015; Ord. No. 2145-2018 , § 1, 7-30-2018; Ord. No. 0352-2019 , § 1, 2-4-2019; Ord. No. 0352-2019 , § 1, 2-4-2019)