Illinois Code § 2

§ 2.

Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Hotel" means any building or buildings in which the public may, for a consideration, obtain living quarters, sleeping or housekeeping accommodations. The term includes, but is not limited to, inns, motels, tourist homes or courts, lodging houses, rooming houses and apartment houses, retreat centers, conference centers, hunting lodges, and short-term rentals. (2) "Operator" means any person engaged in the business of renting, leasing, or letting rooms in a hotel. (3) "Occupancy" means the use or possession, or the right to the use or possession, of any room or rooms in a hotel for any purpose, or the right to the use or possession of the furnishings or to the services and accommodations accompanying the use and possession of the room or rooms. (4) "Room" or "rooms" means any living quarters, sleeping or housekeeping accommodations. (5) "Permanent resident" means any person who occupied or has the right to occupy any room or rooms, regardless of whether or not it is the same room or rooms, in a hotel for at least 30 consecutive days. (6) "Rent" or "rental" means the consideration received for occupancy, valued in money, whether received in money or otherwise, including all receipts, cash, credits, and property or services of any kind or nature. "Rent" or "rental" includes any fee, charge, or commission received from a guest by a re-renter of hotel rooms specifically in connection with the re-rental of hotel rooms. (7) "Department" means the Department of Revenue. (8) "Person" means any natural individual, firm, partnership, association, joint stock company, joint adventure, public or private corporation, limited liability company, or a receiver, executor, trustee, guardian, or other representative appointed by order of any court. (9) "Re-renter of hotel rooms" means a person who is not employed by the hotel operator but who, either directly or indirectly, through agreements or arrangements with third parties, collects or processes the payment of rent for a hotel room located in this State and (i) obtains the right or authority to grant control of, access to, or occupancy of a hotel room in this State to a guest of the hotel or (ii) facilitates the booking of a hotel room located in this State. A person who obtains those rights or authorities is not considered a re-renter of a hotel room if the person operates under a shared hotel brand with the operator. (10) "Hosting platform" or "platform" means a person who provides an online application, software, website, or system through which a short-term rental located in this State is advertised or held out to the public as available to rent for occupancy. For purposes of this definition, "short-term rental" means an owner-occupied, tenant-occupied, or non-owner-occupied dwelling, including, but not limited to, an apartment, house, cottage, or condominium, located in this State, where: (i) at least one room in the dwelling is rented to an occupant for a period of less than 30 consecutive days; and (ii) all accommodations are reserved in advance; provided, however, that a dwelling shall be considered a single room if rented as such. (11) "Shared hotel brand" means an identifying trademark that a hotel operator is expressly licensed to operate under in accordance with the terms of a hotel franchise or management agreement. (Source: P.A. 103-592, eff. 7-1-24; 104-6, eff. 7-1-25; 104-417, eff. 8-15-25.)