Tourism director and prosecutor discuss using local resolution to tax short-term rentals; projected modest revenue

Trumbull County tourism staff and the county prosecutor briefed commissioners about the option of expanding local lodging-tax coverage to short-term rentals.

"When we did the math last year, we thought it might be an additional $20,000 in lodging tax income," Beth Carmichael of the Trumbull County Tourism Bureau told the board, describing prior research that found about 100 short-term rentals locally and noting that the tourism office could include qualified short-term units in its promotional listings if they remit lodging tax.

Prosecutor Bill Dano said the county could pass a resolution to change the local lodging-tax threshold (the county’s current lodging-tax resolution targets establishments of five or more rooms) and thereby require short-term rentals that meet the new threshold to collect and remit the tax. He cautioned that without state-level registration or reporting requirements enforcement would rely on self-reporting and third-party platforms, and tracking would not be perfect.

Why it matters: County staff said the likely revenue gain is modest but that including short-term rentals could expand the county’s marketing pool and create a more equitable system where like accommodations contribute to tourism promotion. Commissioners asked staff to check whether a similar resolution is already on file and to circulate any sample resolutions and backup materials.

Next steps: Staff will verify whether the county previously adopted a resolution on this issue, provide sample language and discuss enforcement and software options to detect short-term rentals.