Short-Term Rental Permit Requirements in Westchester County

There Is No County-Wide STR Rule

Westchester County does not have a single unified short-term rental ordinance. Each of the county's cities, towns, and villages sets its own rules — and the gap between one municipality's approach and the next can be wider than most hosts expect. A property in White Plains operates under a different regulatory framework than a property ten minutes away in Hartsdale.

After managing properties through multiple Westchester permit cycles since 2019, the most common mistake we see is treating a town permit as a one-time event. Permits typically require annual renewal, and towns occasionally update their requirements between cycles. Staying current is not optional — it is a condition of operating legally.

What Most Westchester Towns Require

While the specifics vary, most Westchester municipalities that regulate short-term rentals require some combination of the following before a property can legally operate on Airbnb or any other booking platform:

• A completed application submitted to the town's building or planning department.
• Proof of homeowner's insurance that explicitly covers short-term rental activity.
• A safety inspection or self-certification covering smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and egress windows.
• Payment of an annual permit fee, which typically ranges from $100 to $500 depending on the municipality.
• Registration with the county or state for sales tax collection purposes.

Some towns add requirements beyond this baseline. A few mandate that the property must be the owner's primary residence. Others require a designated local contact who can respond to complaints within a specified timeframe — typically 30 to 60 minutes.

Town-by-Town Variation

The regulatory landscape across central Westchester illustrates why a blanket approach to permitting does not work. The towns ProHostNY operates in most frequently — White Plains, Armonk (Town of North Castle), Tarrytown (Village of Tarrytown), Chappaqua (Town of New Castle), Pleasantville, Hartsdale (Town of Greenburgh), Valhalla (Town of Mount Pleasant), and Mount Kisco — each handle STR regulation differently.

Owner-Occupancy Requirements

Several Westchester towns restrict short-term rentals to owner-occupied properties. In these municipalities, a property owner must live in the home as their primary residence to qualify for a permit. This effectively rules out investor-owned properties operating as full-time Airbnb rentals in those towns. Other municipalities have no such requirement and allow non-owner-occupied STRs with the appropriate permit and tax registration.

Fees and Renewal Timelines

Annual permit fees range from under $100 in some villages to $500 or more in larger cities. Renewal timelines are typically annual, but the renewal window varies — some towns require renewal by a specific calendar date, while others run on a rolling 12-month cycle from the date of original issuance. Missing a renewal deadline can result in the permit lapsing, which may require a full new application rather than a simple renewal.

Restrictions on Duration and Frequency

A few municipalities cap the number of nights a property can be rented on a short-term basis per year. Others restrict minimum stay lengths — for example, requiring a two-night minimum. These restrictions can have a meaningful impact on annual revenue projections and should be factored into any financial analysis before listing a property.

What Happens Without a Permit

Operating a short-term rental without the required permit is not a gray area in most Westchester towns. The consequences typically escalate in stages. An initial notice or warning is common, followed by daily fines that can accumulate quickly. In more aggressive enforcement environments, the municipality may contact the booking platform directly to have the listing suspended.

Beyond the direct financial penalties, operating without a permit creates risk for the property owner's insurance coverage. Most standard homeowner's policies do not cover claims arising from short-term rental activity. If a guest is injured on the property and the owner lacks both the appropriate permit and the appropriate insurance rider, the exposure is significant.

How ProHostNY Handles Permits

Every new property engagement at ProHostNY begins with a local permit review. We identify the specific municipality's current requirements, assess whether the property qualifies under any owner-occupancy rules, and outline the application or renewal process for the owner. ProHostNY does not file permits on behalf of owners — the application is a legal filing that must come from the property owner — but we provide the research, documentation checklist, and guidance needed to complete it efficiently.

For properties already listed and operating, we review existing permit status during onboarding. In our experience, a meaningful percentage of Westchester hosts who set up their own listings skipped the permit step entirely, either because they were unaware of the requirement or assumed it was not enforced in their town. We flag that immediately and help the owner get compliant before operations continue under our management.

Staying Current as Rules Change

Westchester's STR regulatory landscape is not static. Towns periodically update their ordinances — sometimes adding new requirements, sometimes adjusting fees, and occasionally imposing restrictions that did not previously exist. As of early 2026, several Westchester municipalities are reviewing or amending their short-term rental regulations in response to increased listing activity in the county.

ProHostNY monitors local regulatory updates for the towns in which we operate. When a rule change affects a managed property, we notify the owner and outline the steps needed to maintain compliance. This is one of the less visible but more valuable aspects of working with a local co-host — regulatory awareness is built into the service, not something the owner has to track independently.