Rent your property to a mid-term rental operator in Columbus, OH.
Listing your Columbus rental on ArbiBase is free. You sign a consent form and set your rules, vetted operators send proposals, and you decide who tours and who signs. Columbus requires a city short-term rental license, and for a unit nobody lives in, the owner must hold it. That makes mid-term operators, who host stays of 30+ nights, the place to start.
Free to list · Free to review · Free to say no
Your property. Your rules.
Operators sign standard leases directly with you. ArbiBase is not a party to the lease, and is not a broker or property manager: we make the introduction, you run the relationship.
Signed
Nothing is listed until you sign the consent form.
You
Rental type, quiet hours, guest caps, insurance minimums, HOA limits.
Revocable
Withdraw consent whenever you like, with no penalty.
$0
Operators fund the platform. You never pay to list.
Four steps, and every one is yours to approve.
- Step 01 · List
Sign and set your rules.
Sign the consent form and set your non-negotiables: rental type (STR, MTR or both), quiet hours, guest caps, insurance minimums and HOA rules. Operators see your terms before they see your address.
- Step 02 · Check
We check the property.
A listing is Verified only after signed owner consent, a Greenlight underwriting pass (estimated revenue at least 1.5x the rent) and a Columbus and ZIP rules check for your address.
- Step 03 · Receive
Vetted operators send proposals.
Each proposal shows the operator's business, insurance, track record, offered rent and lease term, side by side.
- Step 04 · Approve
You decide who tours and signs.
Review the operator's record, approve who tours, and sign a standard lease directly with the one you choose. Or decline every proposal, at no cost.
What Columbus's rules mean for you as the owner.
- Short-term rentals need a city license, and non-owners can only apply for their own primary residence.
- So for a unit you lease to an operator, you as the owner would have to hold the license for stays under 30 nights.
- Stays of 30+ nights fall outside the Columbus STR license.
- Taxes: 5.1% city lodging excise tax on stays of 30 days or less; STR income is also subject to city income tax. Agree in writing who registers and who files.
- If you have an HOA or condo association, its bylaws can ban what the city allows. Attach the rules to your listing so operators work inside them. How to check your HOA rules.
Curious what an operator could earn at your address? The free Greenlight check estimates revenue against 1.5x your rent.
Full regulation record: Is Airbnb arbitrage legal in Columbus? · What operators see: Rental arbitrage in Columbus, OH
Sources, checked : City of Columbus: Get a Short Term Rental Permit · City of Columbus: Short Term Rental Information Sheet, Application and Excise Lodging Tax FAQ (rev. August 2026).
Last reviewed . General information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the city or a local attorney before signing a lease.
Which kind of operator fits Columbus.
Short stays
License required
Columbus requires a city short-term rental license, and for a unit nobody lives in, the owner must hold it.
Mid-term stays
Stays of 30+ nights fall outside the Columbus STR license.
Who books in Columbus: Ohio State University and Wexner Medical Center; Nationwide Children's and OhioHealth hospital staff; Corporate relocations and project crews.
Not sure? Mid-term rentals for landlords explains who the 30+ night guests are and what to require, and short-term or mid-term compares the two.
Questions Columbus owners ask.
Can I rent my Columbus property to an Airbnb operator?
Only if you, the owner, hold the city STR license. Non-owners can only apply for their own primary residence, so an operator can't license your unit. Mid-term stays of 30+ nights fall outside the license, which makes a mid-term operator the simpler path.
Who holds the short-term rental permit or registration in Columbus?
The owner. Columbus requires a city STR license, and non-owners can only apply for their own primary residence, so for a unit nobody lives in, the owner must hold it. Put in the lease who applies, who registers for taxes and who files, and ask to see it before the first guest. On ArbiBase you see how taxes, licensing and insurance are handled before you sign.
Can I allow mid-term stays only?
Yes. Set MTR-only (30+ nights) when you list, and operators who can't meet a rule never see the listing. Stays of 30+ nights fall outside the Columbus STR license.
Does it cost anything to list my Columbus property?
No. Listing is free for property owners. Operators pay for the platform; you never do. You are never obligated to sign, and you can decline every proposal at no cost.
Who signs the lease?
The operator signs a standard lease directly with you. ArbiBase is not a party to the lease, and is not a broker or property manager: we don't collect rent, supervise guests or run operations.
How are operators and listings checked in Columbus?
Operators' business registration, insurance, track record and references are verified before they can view your listing. A listing is Verified only after signed owner consent, a Greenlight underwriting pass (estimated revenue at least 1.5x the rent) and a check of Columbus and ZIP rules for that address.
Before you sign.
Rental arbitrage consent agreement
A clause-by-clause walkthrough of the addendum that allows an operator to host short or mid-term guests.
For landlordsHow to vet a rental arbitrage operator before you sign
The documents to ask for and the red flags to watch.
Regulation recordIs Airbnb arbitrage legal in Columbus?
The full Columbus rules summary: permits, mid-term stays, taxes and what to check.
Market guideRental arbitrage in Columbus, OH
The operator-side guide: local rules, who books and where operators lease.
More for owners: How ArbiBase works for property owners · All landlord guides
The right Columbus operator is yours to approve.
List in five minutes. Verified operators come to you, on your terms. Listing costs nothing, ever.
Free to list · Free to review · Free to say no