Ohio local officials urge rejection of SB 104, say bill strips home rule over short‑term rentals

Chairwoman Cheryl O'Brien convened a March committee hearing on Senate Bill 104, which would limit local governments' ability to regulate short‑term rentals (STRs). Scores of city, township and tourism officials testified in opposition, urging the Senate to reject the bill in its current form while many also supported requiring booking platforms to collect and remit local lodging taxes.

Why it matters: Witnesses said SB 104 would remove tools local governments use to protect neighborhood safety, housing supply and infrastructure. They urged state lawmakers to preserve municipal home‑rule zoning authority, allow local inspection and nuisance enforcement, and craft a solution that ensures tax parity with hotels without eliminating local discretion.

Testimony from municipal leaders and tourism officials filled the committee over more than three hours. Bevin Schneck, director of public affairs for the Ohio Municipal League, said the league opposes what she called a statewide preemption that would “keep local decision makers from making these local decisions” and asked senators to preserve “the Municipal Home Rule Authority found in Article 18 of the Ohio Constitution.” Kyle Brooks of the Ohio Township Association said the bill would “effectively strip over half of Ohio's townships of their zoning authority.”

Mayors and council members described local experiences they said motivate the need for regulation. Paul Kumar, mayor of Bay Village, recounted a…