Cincinnati, Ohio Short-Term Rental Market
Cincinnati STRs averaged $165/night at 59.1% occupancy in April 2026 across approximately 5,116 active listings.
Quick Answer: Cincinnati, Ohio is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Cincinnati market area is 67%. average monthly revenue in the Cincinnati market area is $3,306. average daily rate in the Cincinnati market area is $180. the top operator in the Cincinnati market area is Liberty Hill Management with 170 listings. market score is 87/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the wider Cincinnati market, which covers 6 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Cincinnati.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Cincinnati’s short-term rental market encompasses approximately 5,116 active listings as of April 2026, reflecting the broader Greater Cincinnati region including Northern Kentucky. The market posted an average daily rate of $164.55 and occupancy of 59.1% in the most recent data month (April 2026), generating RevPAR of $97.31 and monthly revenue of $2,651 per listing.
Year over year, occupancy improved 2.1 percentage points while ADR dipped slightly (-0.9%), producing a strong revenue gain of 7.1%. The revenue growth reflects the occupancy recovery more than rate increases, consistent with post-2023 stabilization following the 2021-2022 rate spike.
The listing mix is predominantly entire-place: 4,473 of 5,116 active listings (87.4%) are entire-place rentals, with 636 private rooms and 7 shared rooms. By bedroom count, studio and one-bedroom units are the largest segment at 2,104 listings, followed by two-bedrooms (1,374), three-bedrooms (880), four-bedrooms (483), and five-bedroom-plus units (262). On distribution channels, 2,715 listings are Airbnb-only, 2,190 are dual-listed on both Airbnb and VRBO, and 211 are VRBO-only.
Cincinnati’s market score of 86.78 out of 100 is the highest of the five markets in this batch. The rental demand score of 86.0 and seasonality score of 82.31 are both exceptional, driven by the city’s 25.9 million annual visitors, MLB and NFL game traffic, and a strong convention center.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 48% |
| Feb | 55% |
| Mar | 59% |
| Apr | 60% |
| May | 60% |
| Jun | 67% |
| Jul | 69% |
| Aug | 63% |
| Sep | 60% |
| Oct | 59% |
| Nov | 54% |
| Dec | 54% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Cincinnati are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Cincinnati market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Cincinnati market as a whole, which includes Cincinnati, so these counts are not Cincinnati-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberty Hill Management | 170 | 16,967 | ★ 4.80 |
| 2 | Plum Tree Property Management | 148 | 5,216 | ★ 4.80 |
| 3 | Grand Welcome | 129 | 5,853 | ★ 4.72 |
| 4 | Casual Nomad | 113 | 1,262 | ★ 4.18 |
| 5 | Drew & Ingrid Group | 102 | 11,494 | ★ 4.88 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Cincinnati?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Cincinnati are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 53.1% |
| vrbo | 4.1% |
| both | 42.8% |
Home Value Trends (Cincinnati)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Cincinnati are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Cincinnati — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Cincinnati requires every short-term rental unit to register with the City before operating. Registration is handled online through the City’s OpenCounter portal at a cost of $250 per unit and is valid for three years (not annual, unlike most markets). Operators self-certify code compliance at registration; no in-person inspection is required. The registration number must appear in all online listings, and the printed permit and a Short-Term Rental Advisory must be displayed inside the unit.
There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement. Every STR must designate a responsible person with a residence or place of business within 50 miles to handle complaints or emergencies. Occupancy is capped at 2 guests per bedroom (2 for studios). Multi-unit buildings of 5 or more units face concentration caps: 4 STR registrations are permitted, plus 1 additional per every 4 units beyond 4 (e.g., a 12-unit building can register up to approximately 6 units as STRs).
Cincinnati imposes a 7% short-term rental excise tax on gross revenues, filed quarterly. Airbnb collects and remits this tax on behalf of hosts using the Airbnb platform; operators on VRBO or other platforms must report and remit independently. Enforcement is escalating-fine based: $300 for operating without registration, rising to $750 per day for continued non-compliance. Tax violations carry a $500 fine, and registration can be suspended or revoked with a 12-month ban on re-registration plus a misdemeanor prosecution option. The current framework was established under Ordinance 125-2019; no major overhaul has been identified since.
Market Comparison
Cincinnati’s April 2026 occupancy of 59.1% modestly exceeds the U.S. STR market median of approximately 55%, and its 2025 annual average occupancy of 57.7% is consistent with above-median demand for an inland Midwest metro. The ADR of $164.55 is below the approximate U.S. median of $220, which is expected for a market without premium coastal or mountain positioning.
The overall market score of 86.78 is the highest in this batch of five markets and indicates strong fundamentals across rental demand (86.0) and seasonality stability (82.31). The revenue growth score of 64.97 is the one softer metric, reflecting ADR that has been essentially flat since 2022 after the post-pandemic surge.
Professional management is present but not dominant. Liberty Hill Management leads with 170 listings, 16,967 reviews, and a 4.801 rating. Plum Tree Property Management operates 148 listings with a 4.799 rating. Drew and Ingrid Group manages 102 listings with the highest rating among the top five at 4.875 stars across 11,494 reviews. The top five operators collectively manage 662 listings, approximately 12.9% of the roughly 5,116 active listings, a moderate consolidation rate.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cincinnati, Ohio
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