A listing is a business. Set it up like one
A short-term rental is a small lodging business. It needs the right entity so a guest injury does not reach your personal assets, a local permit in most cities now, and lodging tax handled, even when your platform quietly collects only part of it. We set up the structure and keep every listing compliant.
The platform hides how much is still on you
It is easy to assume the platform handles everything. It does not. It collects some lodging tax in some places, often only the state portion, leaving city taxes and registration to you. It does not get your short-term rental permit, and it does not put a business between you and a guest who is injured on your property.
We form the entity that holds the property, register the local permit, and set up lodging tax so the part the platform does not collect still gets filed. Your listing stays live with nothing quietly building up behind it.
- Property held in your own name
- No short-term rental permit
- City lodging tax never registered
- Assuming the platform collects it all
- No idea about the 14-day rule
- An LLC holding the property
- Short-term rental permit filed
- Lodging tax registered where needed
- Platform collection mapped, gaps covered
- Income reported on the right schedule
Drag your nights, see where you land
Set how many nights a year you rent and whether your platform collects the tax. The 14-day line is where a hobby becomes a rental business.
Even when the platform remits, it is often only the state or county portion. We confirm exactly what is collected for your address and register you for anything left, like a city tax. You still need the local STR permit, which the platform never handles.
A guide, not tax advice. The 14-day rule and Schedule E versus C depend on your facts; we set the structure up and flag what to confirm with your accountant.
Everything a short-term rental needs, in one place
Entity, permit, and tax, handled and renewed together across your listings.
LLC formation
Holds the property, separates liability
EIN
Federal tax ID for the entity
STR permit
Local registration to operate
Lodging tax
Where the platform does not collect
Business banking
Books separated per property
Series or per-property LLC
Walls between multiple listings
Portfolio view
Every listing in one place
Compliance calendar
Permits and renewals, tracked
From a spare room to permitted and protected
Five steps, in the right order. Select one to see the detail.
Form the LLC that holds the property
Guests staying in a property you own is exactly the risk an LLC is for. Holding the property in an entity separates a guest claim from your personal assets. We form it in the property's state, with fees passed through at cost.
A guest claim stays with the property, not you.Get your EIN and business banking
The EIN is the entity's tax ID, and a dedicated account keeps payouts, cleaning, and expenses per property separate from your personal money, which is what keeps the LLC's protection intact.
Separate books per property, not commingled.File the local short-term rental permit
Most cities now require an STR permit or registration, and some restrict rentals to a primary residence, cap the nights, or limit them by zone. We identify your local rules and file the registration so your listing is legal to run.
The permit the platform never gets for you. Business licenses.Set up lodging tax, including what the platform misses
We map exactly which lodging and occupancy taxes your platform collects for your address, often only part, and register you to remit the rest, so the city tax and any gaps are filed on time.
The part the platform does not collect, covered. Tax registration.Renew everything, and add the next listing
STR permits and lodging tax accounts renew and file on their own schedules, and a lapse can get a listing suspended. We track every renewal, and when you add a property, we repeat the whole structure, often as its own LLC.
Renewals and the next listing in the calendar.Built for a lodging business, not a generic filing
Most setups skip the permit, the city tax, and the per-property entity. Here is the difference.
| Capability | File.Business | DIY forms | The platform alone | Generic filer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLC holding the property | Forms only | Not available | Formation only | |
| Local STR permit filed | Not available | Not available | Varies | |
| City lodging tax the platform misses | Not available | Partial | Per filing | |
| Per-property or series structure | Not available | Not available | Extra fees | |
| Permits and renewals tracked | Not available | Not available | Not available | |
| Transparent, published pricing | Fees vary | Per filing |
The honest version. A good accountant is worth it for the Schedule E versus C question and depreciation, and an attorney for a tricky local ordinance, and nothing here is legal advice. What File.Business does is form the entity, file the permit, set up lodging tax, and track renewals, so your specialists handle the hard calls. Compare on the comparison hub.
An operator who knows the host playbook
Ask in plain English. BosAI knows permits, lodging tax, and the 14-day rule.
Airbnb says they collect the taxes. Am I done?
I only rent a couple weekends a year. Do I even owe tax?
I want to buy a second place. Same LLC?
The city tax I did not know I owed
I thought Airbnb handled all my taxes until my city sent a notice about unregistered lodging tax and a missing permit. File.Business moved the property into an LLC, filed the short-term rental permit, and registered me for the city occupancy tax the platform was not collecting. When I bought a second cabin, they set it up in its own LLC. Now both listings are clean and I stopped guessing.
Representative composite based on host outcomes. Nothing here is legal or tax advice; consult your professionals for your situation.
The LLC, the permit, and the lodging tax
Practical resources for setting up and running a short-term rental. All free to read.
Straight answers on entity, permits, and tax
Should I put my short-term rental in an LLC?
Does Airbnb collect the lodging tax for me?
Do I need a permit to run a short-term rental?
What is the 14-day rule?
Is short-term rental income subject to self-employment tax?
What changes when I add a second listing?
Should each property have its own LLC?
Does this replace my accountant or attorney?
Host with nothing hanging over the listing
Form the LLC, file the short-term rental permit, and let us handle the lodging tax the platform does not collect, across every property. Start now, or talk with our team about your listings.