FAQ for Prospective Hosts

What is a "short-term rental"? 

“Short-term rental” refers to any rental within a home or apartment for a period shorter than 30 days. 

The Short-Term Rental Registration Law defines a short-term rental as "a rental for fewer than 30 consecutive days of a dwelling unit within a private dwelling, or in the case of a mixed-use building, a rental of a Class A dwelling unit therein for fewer than 30 consecutive days." 

 

Are short-term rentals banned in New York City? 

No, short-term rentals are not banned in New York City. However, there are regulations that hosts must follow. For example, you cannot rent out an entire apartment or home to visitors for less than 30 days, even if you own or live in the building. This applies to all permanent residential buildings. 

Short-term rentals are only permitted if you are staying in the same unit or apartment as your guests, and you have no more than two paying guests at a time. You must also maintain a common household with the guests. All other laws relating to the use of the space must be followed (e.g., no sleeping in an area where it would be illegal to do so, such as an attic, cellar, or garage). Short-term rental hosts of private dwellings or Class A multiple dwellings must be registered with the City of New York. Otherwise, the short-term rental is illegal. 

 

What does it mean to "maintain a common household" with my guests? 

Maintaining a common household means that your guests have access to all parts of the dwelling unit. Door locks that allow a guest to lock their room door behind them as they leave, for example, would result in a lack of access, meaning that there is no common household. However, privacy locks on bathroom and bedroom doors that prevent others from coming in while an occupant is inside generally do not negate a common household.  

 

What are the eligibility requirements to become a registered short-term rental host? 

To be eligible for short-term rental registration, a host must be a natural person and the permanent occupant of the dwelling unit. A host must not be prohibited by the terms of a lease or other agreement from conducting short-term rentals in the unit. Applicants will be required to certify that they meet these requirements and provide documents to prove their identity and their occupancy status. 

You are not eligible for registration if the building's owner has put their building on the Prohibited Buildings List, which is maintained by OSE and searchable as a database, or if the unit's rent is regulated (e.g., rent controlled, rent stabilized, under a regulatory agreement). 

 

Are entire unit short-term rentals permitted anywhere? 

Yes, but not in people’s homes. Short-term rentals in entire units are only permitted in "Class B" multiple dwellings, which have been approved by the City of New York for legal short-term occupancies. 

A Class B multiple dwelling is defined as "a multiple dwelling which is occupied, as a rule, transiently, as the more or less temporary abode of individuals or families who are lodged with or without meals. This class includes hotels, lodging houses, rooming houses, boarding houses, boarding schools, furnished room houses, lodgings, club houses, and college and school dormitories." This definition does not include apartments, single-family homes, or two-family buildings. 

 

Can a house or apartment be a Class B Multiple Dwelling? 

Probably not. Most residential buildings in New York City that people can rent or own to live in full time are not Class B multiple dwellings. A Class B multiple dwelling is "a multiple dwelling which is occupied, as a rule, transiently, as the more or less temporary abode of individuals or families who are lodged with or without meals. This class includes hotels, lodging houses, rooming houses, boarding houses, boarding schools, furnished room houses, lodgings, club houses, and college and school dormitories." 

Please note that NYC Department of Finance ("DOF") Tax Classifications shows a building's tax status, which may not be the same as the legal use of the structure. DOF tax classifications for two-family dwellings all start with "B,", but this is not the occupancy classification, and a DOF classification of B almost always means that the building is a not a Class B multiple dwelling. 

To see the entire list of buildings OSE believes are Class B, visit OSE’s Class B Multiple Dwellings List page. 

 

Are entire unit short-term rentals permitted in one- and two-family homes? 

No. Pursuant to the New York City Building Code, one- and two-family homes in the City of New York are exclusively for residence purposes on a long-term basis for more than a month at a time. 

However, short-term rentals are permitted where the host obtains a short-term rental registration and is sharing space with up to two paying guests in the host's one-family home or the unit the host lives in within a two-family home.  

 

I live in a rent-stabilized unit. Am I eligible for short-term rental registration? 

No. Tenants in the following unit types are not eligible for short-term rental registration: 

• New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) apartments 

• Rent-controlled apartments 

• Rent-stabilized apartments 

Similarly, tenants in buildings where building owners have notified the City of New York that short-term rentals are not allowed in their buildings are ineligible for short-term rental registration. To find out if short-term rentals are prohibited in your building, search our Prohibited Buildings List database. 

 

If I live in an ADU, can I use it to host short-term rentals? 

Possibly yes. Ancillary dwelling units (ADUs) are designed for permanent occupancy and subject to the same short-term rental regulations as other types of housing units in New York City.  

If you are the permanent occupant of an ADU, you can apply to become a registered host by visiting our Short-Term Rental Registration Portal. You will be held to the same requirements as other hosts, which can be found on our Registration Law page. 

 

If I add an ancillary dwelling unit (ADU) to my home, can I use it to host short-term rentals?  

No. Ancillary dwelling units (ADUs) are designed for permanent occupancy and subject to the same short-term rental regulations as other types of housing units in New York City. To learn more about short-term rental regulations, please see our Registration Law page. 

The permanent tenant of the ADU could obtain a registration and host short-term guests, but you cannot live in the existing home and host short-term renters in an ADU. 

For more information on the legalization of ADUs, please visit the ADU page maintained by the Department of Buildings. 

 

Is there an application fee for short-term rental registration? 

Yes, the application fee for registration is $145, plus a small payment processing fee. Payment is required at the time the application is submitted, and the fee is non-refundable. 

 

Do I have to provide OSE with my short-term rental listing? 

As part of the application process, hosts that use a booking service platform (including but not limited to Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO) must provide the uniform resource locator or listing identifier and the associated booking service name for all existing listings of the dwelling unit. To add a listing after registering, use our Short-Term Rental Registration Portal, and click “Add or Correct a Listing.” 

 

Most short-term rental sites are booked by the number of nights, not by days. How does the check-in day count? 

Based on New York State Law, the check-in date is day zero and not day one. Therefore, a 29-night rental is a short-term rental, and a 30-night rental is permanent occupancy. 

Can I add listings after I get a registration number? 

Yes, registered hosts can now add listings using our Short-Term Registration Portal. Simply log in click “Add or Correct a Listing.” OSE will review the listing for its compliance with city laws, and you will be notified by email if it is approved or if you need to make corrections to the listing. Please note that adding it to your application does not automatically associate it with your registration. 

 

How long will my application take? 

Processing time depends on a number of factors, including when the application was submitted, the number of pending applications, and the complexity of the application. OSE cannot give individual estimates but aims to give an initial determination within 3 business days. 

 

Can I check the status of my application? 

Yes. You can log in to the application portal, click "My Short-Term Rental Application" at the top of the screen, and the status will be displayed.  

 

Can I fix my application to prevent it from being denied? 

Usually yes. If all the reasons for denying an application are correctable, OSE will notify the applicant of each deficiency, describe how to correct it, and give 90 days to make corrections. If there is missing information (e.g., proof of occupancy, proof of identity, or lease if the applicant is a renter), OSE may give the applicant 30 days to submit the requested information.