Vacohost

    New York

    Town of East Hampton, New York short-term rental rules

    Overview

    East Hampton runs a rental registry rather than a licence programme, and the penalties are the story: failing to include your registry number in an advertisement is its own offence, and other violations carry four- and five-figure fines with each day counted separately. The advertising rule applies outside the incorporated villages.

    Areas covered: Unincorporated Town of East Hampton, Suffolk County, Not the incorporated villages inside the town, which regulate separately · Last verified

    Not legal advice

    VacoHost is not a law firm and does not verify compliance on an owner’s behalf. Every requirement below is quoted in plain English from the official document cited beside it, and rules change between our reviews — verify directly with the jurisdiction before acting.

    Verified requirements for Town of East Hampton, New York

    Each item below was read from the official document cited with it. Nothing here is generic guidance.

    1. Rental registry number required

      It is unlawful to rent a rental or seasonal rental property without registering with the Town Building Department and holding a valid registry number for that premises.

      Source: East Hampton Town Code — Chapter 199 (Rental Property) (opens in a new tab) · § 199-1-2A–B · Verified

    2. Registry number in advertising, outside the villages

      Advertising a rental located outside the incorporated villages without including the registration number is unlawful. The rule does not reach property inside those villages.

      Source: East Hampton Town Code — Chapter 199 (opens in a new tab) · § 199-1-2E · Verified

    3. Application contents

      Registration requires owner name and contact, tax map identification, tenancy length and number, bedroom count and square footage, a copy of the certificate of occupancy, and a notarised inspection checklist.

      Source: East Hampton Town Code — Chapter 199 (opens in a new tab) · § 199-1-3A · Verified

    4. Two-year term; void on sale

      Registration expires two years after it is deemed complete, and a change in ownership voids the registry number so the new owner must re-register.

      Source: East Hampton Town Code — Chapter 199 (opens in a new tab) · § 199-1-3B · Verified

    5. Penalties

      Failing to publish the registry number carries a $150 to $1,500 fine and up to 15 days imprisonment. Other violations carry $3,000 to $15,000 for a first offence and $8,000 to $30,000 for a repeat within 18 months, with each day a separate violation.

      Source: East Hampton Town Code — Chapter 199 (opens in a new tab) · § 199-1-9 · Verified

    Regulation research score

    How much short-term-rental-specific rule-making we have confirmed from cited official sources for Town of East Hampton, New York, scored against 12 criteria worth 29 points. It is not a legal conclusion, a permissiveness rating, a market rating, or investment advice — a higher or lower score does not mean a place is better or worse to operate in.

    Moderate / structured· 9/29 pts

    A defined compliance framework with a documented process. This can mean a clearer path to compliance; it is not a recommendation, a rating, or an investment view.

    Score
    9 of 29 rubric points · Moderate confirmed requirements (5 of 12)
    Evidence coverage
    partial · 5 of 12 criteria resolved
    Last reviewed

    5 of 12 rubric criteria resolved against cited official sources.

    What produced this score

    • Permit, licence, or registration+3
    • Inspection or life-safety certification+2
    • Enforcement and penalties+2
    • Renewal or transfer+1
    • Advertising and listing rules+1

    The rubric

    • Prohibition or severe eligibility limitNot confirmed

      Does an official source prohibit short-term rentals outright, or restrict eligibility so narrowly that most properties cannot qualify?

      Unknown. We have not found an official source either way, so this criterion is not scored in any direction — confirm it with the jurisdiction.

    • Owner-occupancy or primary residenceNot confirmed

      Does an official source require the owner to occupy the property or hold it as a primary residence?

      Unknown. We have not found an official source either way, so this criterion is not scored in any direction — confirm it with the jurisdiction.

    • Zoning limits, caps, density or spacingNot confirmed

      Does an official source restrict which zones short-term rentals may operate in, or cap, space, or ration how many may exist?

      Unknown. We have not found an official source either way, so this criterion is not scored in any direction — confirm it with the jurisdiction.

    • Minimum or maximum stayNot confirmed

      Does an official source set a minimum night requirement or a maximum rental term?

      Unknown. We have not found an official source either way, so this criterion is not scored in any direction — confirm it with the jurisdiction.

    • Permit, licence, or registrationConfirmed — applies

      Does an official source require a permit, licence, certificate, or registration before the property is advertised?

    • Inspection or life-safety certificationConfirmed — applies

      Does an official source require an inspection, fire or building certification, or posted safety information?

    • Occupancy and parkingNot confirmed

      Does an official source set an occupancy limit or an on-site parking requirement?

      Unknown. We have not found an official source either way, so this criterion is not scored in any direction — confirm it with the jurisdiction.

    • Enforcement and penaltiesConfirmed — applies

      Does an official source publish penalties, suspension, revocation, or a complaint process for violations?

    • Local responsible partyNot confirmed

      Does an official source require a named local contact who must respond within a set time?

      Unknown. We have not found an official source either way, so this criterion is not scored in any direction — confirm it with the jurisdiction.

    • Lodging tax or feesNot confirmed

      Does an official source impose a lodging, excise, or permit fee obligation on the operator?

      Unknown. We have not found an official source either way, so this criterion is not scored in any direction — confirm it with the jurisdiction.

    • Renewal or transferConfirmed — applies

      Does an official source set a renewal cycle, or restrict transfer of the permit on sale?

    • Advertising and listing rulesConfirmed — applies

      Does an official source govern how the property may be advertised — for example requiring the permit number in every listing?

    How the band is set: fewer than four resolved criteria stays unscored and grey; otherwise 20+ points reads high regulatory burden, 13–19 moderately high, 7–12 moderate / structured, 1–6 lower, and zero confirmed requirements reads “no local STR-specific regulation found” — which is not a statement that operating here is unrestricted, legal, or low-risk. Unconfirmed criteria never count as permissive. How to confirm the rest yourself.

    General research checklist (not Town of East Hampton, New York specific)

    These are the categories short-term rental owners check anywhere in the US. They are general prompts, not this jurisdiction’s ordinance.

    Occupancy limits
    Most jurisdictions tie maximum overnight occupancy to bedroom count, septic capacity, or a fixed cap. Confirm the current figure for your specific parcel with the Town of East Hampton before advertising a sleeping capacity.
    Parking
    On-site parking counts and prohibitions on street or shoulder parking are among the most commonly enforced short-term rental provisions. Verify the required count with the Town of East Hampton and state it plainly in your listing.
    Life-safety requirements
    Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, egress, and posted evacuation information are typical requirements. Some jurisdictions inspect; others self-certify. Verify which applies.
    Local responsible party
    Many ordinances require a named local contact who can respond to the property within a set time. Confirm whether a contact is required, what response window applies, and how it must be filed with the Town of East Hampton.
    Renewal and enforcement
    Registrations and permits generally renew on a fixed cycle, and enforcement is usually complaint-driven with escalating penalties. Confirm the renewal date, fee, and enforcement process with the Town of East Hampton.
    Lodging and sales tax
    State and local lodging or occupancy taxes may be collected by the booking platform, by you, or split. Confirm current collection responsibility with both the taxing authority and your platform — platform collection agreements change.

    Confirm these directly — we could not verify them

    We publish gaps rather than guesses. The following were not confirmable from a current official source at our last review.

    • Needs confirmation — minimum-stay, occupancy, and parking rules, which sit in the zoning chapter rather than Chapter 199.
    • Needs confirmation — whether your parcel is inside an incorporated village, which has its own rules.
    • Needs confirmation — a published Building Department phone number and email.
    • Needs confirmation — Suffolk County and New York State lodging tax registration.

    Official sources

    Government sources only. If a link has moved, go to the jurisdiction’s main site and search for short-term or vacation rentals.

    Change log

    • — Entry created from Chapter 199 as codified (L.L. 38-2015, amended 2022 and 2024).

    Operating a rental here?

    Compliance is the owner’s responsibility in every model, including ours. What a co-host can do is keep the listing, messaging, and pricing consistent with the rules you confirm.

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    Nearby jurisdictions

    Found a change in Town of East Hampton, New York?

    Send the official link and we'll re-verify this entry. We'd rather correct it than leave a stale requirement up.

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