STR rules · verified 1mo ago
Short-term rental rules in Westchester, NY
Westchester County, New York has NO county-wide short-term rental siting or permit ordinance. The only county-level lodging instrument is the Room Occupancy Tax under Chapter 270 of the Laws of Westchester County (originally adopted 1988, authorized by NY Tax Law Sec. 1202-g*4), administered by the Department of Finance: every operator of a hotel/room must apply within 3 days of opening for a Certificate of Authority to Collect Room Occupancy Tax, collect the 3% county tax on stays under 30 days, and file quarterly returns. All STR siting, owner-occupancy and registration rules are set by the county's 45 municipalities (cities, towns and villages). Several have adopted their own STR ordinances in the last three years: Irvington (2024 local law), New Rochelle (owner-occupied only), Yonkers (Sec. 56-39 hotel tax + zoning), Rye, Mount Vernon, White Plains. The Hudson River 'Rivertowns' (Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington) are the activist front. NY State Multiple Dwelling Law also bars sub-30-day rentals in multi-unit buildings unless the permanent resident is present.
What's behind the sign-in
- Registration fees — initial + annual renewal cost, per permit type
- Permit caps + waitlists — exact cap values, current waitlist counts
- Owner-occupancy rules — days/year requirement, permit-class splits
- Zoning carve-outs — which districts allow / disallow STR
- Tax stack — TOT, hotel, county + state layers
- Stay limits — min/max nightly, max nights/year
- Operational requirements — parking, insurance, fire inspection, neighbor notice
- Penalties — per-night fines, revocation thresholds
- City-specific gotchas — HOA carve-outs, pending legislation, recent court rulings
- Refresh on demand — re-run the agentic pipeline against the city's current ordinance
Frequently asked
Are short-term rentals legal in Westchester, NY?
Westchester is currently restricted for short-term rentals. Permitted but with material constraints — caps, owner-occupancy rules, zoning carve-outs, or active ordinance review. For the actual fees, caps, owner-occupancy rules, and city-specific gotchas, sign in.
Do I need a permit to run an Airbnb in Westchester?
Almost certainly yes — almost every U.S. city now requires a short-term rental permit, vacation rental permit, or transient lodging permit before you can legally list. The specifics for Westchester (cost, renewal cycle, required documents) are behind sign-in. You can also read the source ordinance directly: https://finance.westchestercountyny.gov/taxes-and-liens/room-occupancy-tax.
What happens if I rent without a permit in Westchester?
Most cities charge per-night fines (a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per violation), escalating to cease-and-desist letters and platform delisting on repeat. Airbnb and Vrbo now share permit-validation feeds with most major cities, so unpermitted listings get blocked at the platform level. Sign in to see the specific penalty schedule for Westchester.
How current is this data for Westchester?
This record was verified 1mo ago against the city's published ordinance (.gov or the city's official municipal-code publisher). Cached cities re-verify on a cadence — daily for cities under active legislation, weekly otherwise. Signed-in users can hit Refresh on any city to force a fresh pull. If you're underwriting a deal, always confirm against the city's code-enforcement office before closing.
Can my HOA or condo association ban STRs even if Westchester allows them?
Yes. City permits authorize you under municipal law, but your HOA, condo association, or co-op board sets contractual rules that override the city for your unit. Many HOAs adopted blanket STR bans between 2018 and 2024 in response to neighbor complaints. Read the CC&Rs, bylaws, and rental addendums before you buy with an STR plan — the city saying yes does not mean your building says yes.