Bartholomew County – Columbus
Other Indiana Markets Airbnb and short term rental laws.
Renting the home you live in: Allowed; approval for more than 5 adults
Renting a home you don’t live in: Allowed; approval for more than 5 adults
Columbus has no short term rental permit. Homes for 6 or more guests need a zoning approval first.
Fee
No short term rental permit fee. Zoning approval for more than 5 unrelated adults costs $250.
Where rentals are allowed
Rentals with 5 or fewer guests need no zoning approval. A home used by more than 5 unrelated adults is a shared housing facility. That use needs conditional use approval from the Board of Zoning Appeals in most districts, after a meeting with Planning staff. The same rules cover unincorporated Bartholomew County, except Hartsville and the Edinburgh, Bartholomew, Columbus Joint District.
Guest limits
A family can include no more than 5 unrelated adults. More than 5 unrelated adults makes the home a shared housing facility, which needs conditional use approval.
Safety and inspections
The home must meet building, health, and fire codes.
Parking, trash, and noise
Conditional use review looks at parking, septic capacity, lot size, closeness to neighbors, and neighbor privacy.
Local contact
The city rental registry and its local agent rule do not apply to short term rentals.
Last changed
August 2025
Official rules
More information
- Sec. 14.2: Family and shared housing
- Sec. 12.4: Conditional use process
- Municipal Code Ch. 15.24: City rental registry