Rental License, Short Term Rental, Vacant, and Foreclosed Property Requirements

Rental Property License


We are a paperless office, please complete the application through the portal link below.

2023 Rental Dwelling Application Portal


Find portal directions here

If you need assistance you can come to City Hall and we can help you with the process.

You can pay by Credit card on the portal with no additional fees.
If you are paying by Check complete the online application skip where it asks for payment then mail a check, made payable to the City of Brooklyn to:

City of Brooklyn  c/o Rental Registration
7619 Memphis Ave
Brooklyn, Ohio 44144

*Please put the address of the rental on the check memo. 

No person shall let, rent, lease, conduct, operate, occupy, maintain or own any building or portion of any building in which there are one or more rental dwelling units, transient rentals, or rooming units, or own any interest therein, unless a rental dwelling license as provided in this chapter has been issued and is in force.

Each rental dwelling license shall be secured by January 1, shall expire on the following December 31, shall be effective for not more than twelve months irrespective of the date of its issuance, and shall not be transferable.

Whenever the interest of the licensee in the building, for the occupancy of which the license was issued, shall cease, or such building shall have been brought within one of the other grades defined by law or ordinance by reason of a change of use, such license shall immediately become void. When the property for which a rental dwelling license is required is sold, the new owner, if required pursuant to Section 1360.15, shall secure such license within fifteen (15) days after the transfer of title. However, upon the death of the licensee, the license shall nevertheless be valid for thirty (30) days from the date of the death in favor of the legal representatives of the licensee, or of the person or persons to whom the interest of the licensee passes by operation of law.

Short-Term Rental Requirements (Airbnb, VRBO, Etc..)


No person shall permit a dwelling unit to be used as a Short-Term rental except in accordance with the regulations set forth in this section.

  • Any Short-Term rental must:
    • Be the owner's or operator's principal residence when not rented to a transient renter; or
    • Be within twenty-five (25) miles of the owner's principal residence; or
    • If the owner does not reside in a location within twenty-five (25) miles of the City, be controlled by a property agent, manager, or caretaker residing within a twenty-five (25)-mile radius of the City who is designated in the rental dwelling license application by name, address and telephone number, and who may receive service of any and all notices required or allowed under this chapter.
  • The total number of calendar days, or parts of calendar days, that a Short-Term renter occupies a dwelling unit may not exceed twenty-four (24) in any calendar year.
  • No person shall own or operate more than ten (10) Short-Term rentals in the City.
  • Notwithstanding any other provision of the Code, a Short-Term rental shall have at least one off-street parking space available for each bedroom rented by a transient renter.
  • Except when the owner or operator of the dwelling unit is concurrently occupying the dwelling unit with a transient renter, no person shall permit single-room rentals to transient renters. As used herein, "single-room rentals" are rental arrangements in which at least one Short-Term renter has exclusive possession of an individual rooming unit within a dwelling unit and shared access with other renters to common facilities within the dwelling unit.
  • Short-term rentals are subject to the same 3 percent excise tax that hotel owners pay on their room rates.

Foreclosure Filing


 (a)     Notice. Any person who files an original or refiled complaint for foreclosure involving residential real property located within the City shall notify the City, on a form prescribed by the Building Commissioner, of the filing of the foreclosure complaint and shall file a complete copy of the foreclosure complaint with the City's Building Department within ten (10) days after the filing of that complaint in court.

   (b)     Vacant Structures.   If the building or structure on the property that is the subject of the foreclosure is vacant at the time the foreclosure complaint is filed or at any time thereafter until the property is sold at sheriff's sale, then the person filing the foreclosure complaint shall notify the City's Building Department, in writing or on a form prescribed by the Building Commissioner, of the name, address, telephone number, and contact information for the person who will be responsible for maintaining the property. "Vacant," for the purposes of this section, means that no part of the residential structure is actually and lawfully used as a dwelling by any person.

   (c)   Fees. The fee to file the notice required by subsection (a) is seventy-five dollars ($75.00). If the notice is filed untimely, the fee is one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00). The fee shall be paid at the time of filing.

Vacant Property Registration

In all areas zoned for residential or commercial use, an owner of a vacant building shall register such structure with the Building Commissioner not later than 90 days after it becomes a vacant building, or not later than 30 days of being notified by the Building Commissioner of the requirement to register based on evidence of vacancy, whichever event first occurs.

Fair Housing Information


The Fair Housing Center offers online fair housing training, which provides a comprehensive overview of fair housing law, including information on reasonable accommodations and modifications for persons with disabilities, emerging issues, and the goals of fair housing. Enroll in a course to get the training you need from the comfort of your own home, at the pace that works for you.

Take advantage of these opportunities by registering for an online fair housing course linked below: https://www.thehousingcenter.org/online-trainings/