Vacohost

    New York

    New York City, New York short-term rental rules

    Overview

    New York City is effectively closed to un-hosted short-term rentals. Local Law 18 requires hosts to register with the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement, requires the host to live in the unit and be present, and requires booking platforms to verify registration before processing a booking — which is why unregistered listings simply cannot transact.

    Areas covered: All five boroughs of New York City · Last verified

    Verified requirements for New York City, New York

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

    1. prohibition

      NYC's Prohibited Buildings List identifies buildings (e.g., NYCHA, fully rent-regulated buildings, buildings whose owners opt in) where short-term rentals are barred outright.

      Source: NYC Office of Special Enforcement — Registration Law (opens in a new tab) · Short-Term Rental Registration and Verification by Booking Services · Verified

    2. minimumStay

      Short-term rentals under Local Law 18 are defined as rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days; rentals of 30+ days are exempt from the registration law.

      Source: NYC Office of Special Enforcement — Registration Law (opens in a new tab) · Short-Term Rental Registration and Verification by Booking Services · Verified

    3. Registration required before renting under 30 days

      Hosts must register with the Office of Special Enforcement before renting for fewer than 30 days, and booking services must verify that registration before processing a booking.

      Source: NYC Office of Special Enforcement — Short-Term Rental Registration Law (opens in a new tab) · NYC Admin. Code Title 26, Ch. 31–32 (Local Law 18 of 2022) · Verified

    4. Host presence and residency

      Registration requires the applicant to host in the unit they live in, and in a class A multiple dwelling the host must be present during the stay.

      Source: NYC Office of Special Enforcement — Registration Law (opens in a new tab) · Registration Law · Verified

    5. Platforms cannot transact unregistered listings

      Booking services may not process transactions for unregistered, non-exempt listings, which functions as the primary enforcement mechanism.

      Source: NYC Office of Special Enforcement — Registration Rules and Laws (opens in a new tab) · NYC Admin. Code Ch. 32 · Verified

    6. Hotel room occupancy tax

      The city hotel room occupancy tax may apply depending on rental type and frequency, separately from registration.

      Source: NYC Department of Finance — Hotel Room Occupancy Tax (opens in a new tab) · Admin. Code Title 11, Ch. 25 · Verified

    7. Enforcement

      The Office of Special Enforcement issues warnings, conducts inspections, issues summonses, and may deny renewals or move to revoke a registration.

      Source: NYC Office of Special Enforcement — Enforcement (opens in a new tab) · Enforcement · Verified

    8. State reporting law is separate

      New York's Real Property Law Article 12-D requires booking services, not hosts, to file quarterly county-level reports with the Department of State. It is not a statewide host registry and does not replace city registration.

      Source: New York Department of State — Short-Term Rental Unit Reporting FAQ (opens in a new tab) · RPL §§ 447-a, 447-g · Verified

    Regulation research score

    How far the short-term-rental rules we confirmed from cited official sources for New York City, New York constrain an ordinary non-owner-occupied, whole-home short-term rental, expressed on a 0–100 burden scale built from 12 weighted criteria in two dimensions: market access and operating compliance. Higher means more constrained. It is not a legal conclusion, a permissiveness rating, a market rating, a measure of desirability, legality or profitability, and not investment advice.

    Very high / effectively restricted· 100/100 (range 97–100)· Medium confidence, provisional

    Documented rules make an ordinary non-owner-occupied whole-home short-term rental unavailable or close to impossible for most properties — for example an outright prohibition, a primary-residence mandate, or a closed permit programme.

    A documented severe market-access trigger is present (owner-occupancy or primary residence), so the effectively-restricted band is available. The observed estimate of 100 of 100 combines an access sub-score of 100 and an operating sub-score of 48.

    Based on 67% evidence coverage. 4 criteria are unresolved, so this is an observed floor: the plausible interval reaches 100 of 100. A low observed score here means "little confirmed", not "lightly regulated".

    Market access and eligibility · 100 of 100

    • Prohibition or closed entryMajor access constraint · 65

      A Prohibited Buildings List bars short-term rental outright in listed buildings.

    • Owner-occupancy or primary residenceSevere market-access trigger · 100

      Registration requires the host to live in the unit and, in a class A multiple dwelling, to be present during the stay — ordinary whole-home rental is unavailable.

    • Minimum or maximum stayNo access effect (definitional or permissive) · 0

      A sub-30-day definition of the regulated use.

    Operating and compliance · 48 of 100

    • Permit, licence, or registration22 pts
    • Enforcement and penalties14 pts
    • Advertising and listing rules7 pts
    • Lodging tax or fees5 pts

    Operating rules are weighted at 0.45, so compliance requirements alone cannot push a jurisdiction past Moderate / structured.

    Burden estimate
    100 of 100 · Very high / effectively restricted
    Uncertainty interval
    97–100 of 100
    Evidence coverage
    67% · 8 of 12 criteria resolved
    Confidence
    Medium — provisional
    Last reviewed

    Medium confidence — provisional. Only 67% of the rubric is resolved against official sources. The observed estimate of 100 counts confirmed evidence only; unresolved criteria widen the interval upward to 100. Treat it as indicative, not precise, and confirm directly with the jurisdiction.

    8 of 12 rubric criteria resolved against cited official sources.

    Why this score

    Market-access findings are graded severe, major, moderate or none from the cited official claim itself; the most severe finding scores in full and each additional finding adds a quarter of its points, so correlated restrictions are never double-counted. The operating sub-score is a weighted count out of 100 and is multiplied by 0.45, which is why routine permitting, inspection, contact, tax and enforcement rules alone cannot exceed the Moderate / structured band. An unresolved criterion is never recorded as 'not required' and never scored as zero: it enters the central estimate at a quarter of its worst case and reaches its full worst case at the top of the published interval, but it can never release the gates that open the high-access or effectively-restricted bands — those read confirmed findings only. Every result therefore ships as estimate, interval, evidence coverage and confidence together.

    • Prohibition or closed entry65.00 pts (range 65–65 of 100)

      Confirmed by a cited official source and graded major access constraint (65 access points). A Prohibited Buildings List bars short-term rental outright in listed buildings.

    • Owner-occupancy or primary residence100.00 pts (range 100–100 of 100)

      Confirmed by a cited official source and graded severe market-access trigger (100 access points). Registration requires the host to live in the unit and, in a class A multiple dwelling, to be present during the stay — ordinary whole-home rental is unavailable.

    • Zoning eligibility, caps, density or spacing0.00 pts (range 0–0 of 65)

      An official source states this does not apply here, so it adds nothing at any bound.

    • Minimum or maximum stay0.00 pts (range 0–0 of 35)

      Confirmed by a cited official source and graded no access effect (definitional or permissive) (0 access points). A sub-30-day definition of the regulated use.

    • Permit, licence, or registration22.00 pts (range 22–22 of 22)

      Confirmed by a cited official source, so it scores its full 22 of 100 operating points.

    • Inspection or life-safety certification4.00 pts (range 0–16 of 16)

      Not confirmed either way. It is never recorded as "not required" and never scored as zero: it enters the estimate at 25% of its worst case and widens the upper bound by up to 16 operating points. It can never on its own move this jurisdiction into a higher-access band — those gates read confirmed findings only.

    • Occupancy and parking3.50 pts (range 0–14 of 14)

      Not confirmed either way. It is never recorded as "not required" and never scored as zero: it enters the estimate at 25% of its worst case and widens the upper bound by up to 14 operating points. It can never on its own move this jurisdiction into a higher-access band — those gates read confirmed findings only.

    • Enforcement and penalties14.00 pts (range 14–14 of 14)

      Confirmed by a cited official source, so it scores its full 14 of 100 operating points.

    • Local responsible party3.00 pts (range 0–12 of 12)

      Not confirmed either way. It is never recorded as "not required" and never scored as zero: it enters the estimate at 25% of its worst case and widens the upper bound by up to 12 operating points. It can never on its own move this jurisdiction into a higher-access band — those gates read confirmed findings only.

    • Renewal or transfer2.50 pts (range 0–10 of 10)

      Not confirmed either way. It is never recorded as "not required" and never scored as zero: it enters the estimate at 25% of its worst case and widens the upper bound by up to 10 operating points. It can never on its own move this jurisdiction into a higher-access band — those gates read confirmed findings only.

    • Advertising and listing rules7.00 pts (range 7–7 of 7)

      Confirmed by a cited official source, so it scores its full 7 of 100 operating points.

    • Lodging tax or fees5.00 pts (range 5–5 of 5)

      Confirmed by a cited official source, so it scores its full 5 of 100 operating points.

    What we could not confirm — and what to ask

    We found no official source resolving these 4 criteria either way. They are not treated as “not required” and are not scored as zero. Confirm each one with the department listed below before you rely on it.

    • Inspection or life-safety certification — unknown; could add 0–16 points.
    • Occupancy and parking — unknown; could add 0–14 points.
    • Local responsible party — unknown; could add 0–12 points.
    • Renewal or transfer — unknown; could add 0–10 points.

    The rubric

    • Prohibition or closed entryConfirmed — applies

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

    • Owner-occupancy or primary residenceConfirmed — applies

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

    • Zoning eligibility, caps, density or spacingConfirmed — does not apply

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

      Listings in legally approved 'Class B' multiple dwellings (short-term occupancies already approved by the City) are exempt from the Local Law 18 registration requirement. NYC Office of Special Enforcement — Registration Law

    • Minimum or maximum stayConfirmed — applies

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

    • 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 certificationNot confirmed

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

      Unknown. We have not found an official source either way. It is never recorded as “not required” and never scored as zero — it is carried through the estimate as an explicit range and should be confirmed with the jurisdiction.

    • 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. It is never recorded as “not required” and never scored as zero — it is carried through the estimate as an explicit range and should be confirmed 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. It is never recorded as “not required” and never scored as zero — it is carried through the estimate as an explicit range and should be confirmed with the jurisdiction.

    • Renewal or transferNot confirmed

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

      Unknown. We have not found an official source either way. It is never recorded as “not required” and never scored as zero — it is carried through the estimate as an explicit range and should be confirmed with the jurisdiction.

    • 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?

    • Lodging tax or feesConfirmed — applies

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

    How the category is set on the 0–100 scale: 80+ reads very high / effectively restricted and requires a documented severe market-access trigger; 60–79 reads high access constraints and requires a documented major access constraint (or two moderate ones); 40–59 reads moderate / structured, which is the ceiling for jurisdictions whose confirmed rules are operating requirements only; 20–39 reads lower regulatory burden; below 20 reads minimal STR-specific burden located. A documented official-source search that resolves criteria and finds no short-term-rental-specific requirement reads “no local STR-specific regulation located in reviewed official sources” — 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.

    Who to ask in New York City, New York

    Department-level contact details as published on the jurisdiction’s own website. We do not publish individual staff contact information.

    • NYC Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement — Short-Term Rental Registration

      Registration, verification, and enforcement enquiries

      311

      Published at this official page · checked

    General research checklist (not New York City, 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 New York City 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 New York City 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 New York City.
    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 New York City.
    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 — the current registration processing status, exemptions, and building-level eligibility for your specific unit and building class.
    • Needs confirmation — any numeric caps; the restriction operates through registration eligibility rather than a published cap.
    • Needs confirmation — whether your building's certificate of occupancy or lease independently prohibits the use.

    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 OSE registration and enforcement pages, the Department of Finance tax page, and the NY Department of State reporting FAQ.

    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 New York City, 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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