Kingston, NY short-term rental limits
Kingston's short-term rental standards sit in section 405.21 of its form-based zoning code. A rental may host two guests per bedroom, with six people per dwelling at most. Children ten years old or younger are not counted.[6]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Kingston?
Limited number allowed
What you apply for: Short-Term Rental Permit
- Seasonal homes
- 236
- Housing units
- 11,221
- Residents
- 23,911
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleCapped
- City fee$650
- Tax on each staySet locally
- Seasonal homes21 per 1,000
Kingston NY short-term rental permit
Before advertising or renting a Kingston property for under 30 consecutive days, the owner needs a short-term rental permit. The city issues three types. A full permit covers one dwelling unit and costs $650 a year. A limited permit, for a unit rented fewer than 30 days a year, costs $125. A resident-occupied permit, for part of a unit with a full-time resident, also costs $125. Payment and registration happen online only.[5]
What Kingston asks of you
Full permits are limited to 1% of the city's housing units, which comes to 112 permits as of September 2026.[5]
That cap filled on March 4, 2024. Requests for a full permit have been rejected since, until further notice.[5]
Owners who want a spot on the waitlist email the city with proof of ownership.[7]
Full permits are allowed only in the T4 and T5 transect zones. The other two types have no cap and apply citywide.[5]
A resident renting a separate unit on the same property needs a full or limited permit.[5]
A property may hold only one short-term rental. Accessory dwelling units cannot be rented short term.[5]
The permit renews every year. Building Safety inspects the home before the first approval, then every two years.[5]
The fact sheet calls the number issued with the permit a license number, required in every online listing.[5]
The zoning code calls it a registration number and requires it in print ads as well as online ones.[6]
The fact sheet sets violation fees of $1,000 for a first instance and $5,000 for a second. Later instances cost $7,500.[5]
It counts those fees per day rented or per day advertised.[5]
Under the code, each nightly booking that breaks the standards counts as a separate offense.[6]
Some rentals the code no longer allows had operated legally before it. Those may continue until the use is abandoned, the property changes owners or the permit is revoked.[6]
The code requires hosts to pay the Ulster County occupancy tax and any applicable city hotel fees.[6]
What New York asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
In New York State, the county keeps the short-term rental registry. Once yours opens, the unit is registered there and its number appears on each listing.[1]
Short-term stays have carried sales tax since March 1, 2025. When a platform takes the booking, the platform charges that tax and remits it.[2]
Local control stays with cities, towns and villages, which can set operating rules. A local law can also ban short-term rentals outright.[1]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Kingston
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| New York State sales tax[3] | 4% | The state revenue department |
| Ulster County sales tax[3] | 4% | The state revenue department |
| Ulster County hotel, motel and short-term rental occupancy tax[4] | 4% | The county |
| City of Kingston occupancy tax[8] | Not published | The city |
Ulster County says booking services such as Airbnb or Vrbo now collect its 4% directly from guests. Hosts still file a quarterly return, even when a platform paid all of it.[4]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Kingston is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 236 of Kingston's 11,221 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 21 out of every 1,000. It ranks Kingston 12th of the 13 New York cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 12th of 13
- Share of housing
- 21 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $315,500
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Kingston sits among its neighbors
New York City, NY
Primary residence only
With a city registration, in your own home while you stay there, two guests at most. Whole-home rentals under 30 days are not allowed.
New York City short-term rental rulesWoodstock, NY
Capped
622 seasonal homes, 145 per 1,000 housing units.
Woodstock short-term rental rulesFAQ
Kingston short-term rental questions
Can I still get a full short-term rental permit in Kingston?
Does Kingston charge a hotel tax of its own?
When did Kingston's short-term rental rules take effect?
Where do Kingston hosts apply?
Sources
- Real Property Law section 447-c, registration, New York State Senate, read on October 1, 2026
- Sales tax on short-term rental unit occupancy, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, read on October 1, 2026
- Publication 718, Sales and Use Tax Rates by Jurisdiction, effective March 1, 2025, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, read on October 1, 2026
- Hotel, Motel and Short-Term Rental Occupancy Tax, Ulster County Department of Finance, read on October 1, 2026
- Fact Sheet, Short-term rental regulations in the City of Kingston, New York (as of September 2026), City of Kingston Office of Housing Initiatives, read on October 1, 2026
- Kingston Forward Zoning Code, section 405.21 D, Bed-and-Breakfast / Short-Term Rentals, City of Kingston, read on October 1, 2026
- Housing, Fact Sheets & Housing Resources, City of Kingston Department of Housing Initiatives, read on October 1, 2026
- Tax Law section 1202-ll, Occupancy tax in the city of Kingston, New York State Senate, read on October 1, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 1, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
Airbnb host fee calculator
What Airbnb takes on a booking under the 15.5% host-only fee or the old split fee, what the guest pays on top, and the payout that reaches you.
Airbnb profit calculator
Nightly rate, occupancy, Airbnb fee, management, mortgage, taxes and depreciation. You get cash flow, cash-on-cash return and what is left after the IRS.
Airbnb cleaning checklist generator
Build a printable turnover checklist by room, with restock, photos to take and a place for the cleaner to sign. Free PDF, no sign-up.