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

    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 New York City, New York

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

    1. 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

    2. 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) · Verified

    3. 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

    4. 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

    5. 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) · Verified

    6. 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 much short-term-rental-specific rule-making we have confirmed from cited official sources for New York City, 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· 11/29 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
    11 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

    • Owner-occupancy or primary residence+4
    • Permit, licence, or registration+3
    • Enforcement and penalties+2
    • Lodging tax or fees+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 residenceConfirmed — applies

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

    • 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 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, so this criterion is not scored in any direction — confirm it 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, 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 feesConfirmed — applies

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

    • 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, so this criterion is not scored in any direction — confirm it 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?

    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.

    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.

    go@vacohost.com