Saratoga Springs, NY short-term rental limits
Chapter 136A of the Saratoga Springs code, adopted December 17, 2024, bars renting a short-term rental without a city license. Offering it through a booking service counts too. Owners who were already renting had until June 1, 2025, to get one.[5]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Saratoga Springs?
Limited number allowed
What you apply for: Short-term rental license
- Seasonal homes
- 902
- Housing units
- 14,849
- Residents
- 28,631
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleCapped
- City fee$100
- Tax on each stay15%
- Seasonal homes61 per 1,000
Saratoga Springs short-term rental license
Saratoga Springs requires a short-term rental license, applied for every year, for any unit rented for less than 30 consecutive days. For 2026, the fee is $100 for a primary residence and $750 for any other property. Each unit needs its own license. No unit may be leased short term for more than 150 days in a calendar year.[4]
What Saratoga Springs asks of you
The 150 days are counted as a total over the calendar year. They do not have to be consecutive.[4]
Rentals of 30 days or more at a non-primary residence are left out of the 150-day count.[4]
For the city, a primary residence is one an owner occupies on a full-time, permanent basis.[4]
Under Section 9.5 V of the Unified Development Ordinance, short-term rentals are an accessory use in districts RR, SR and UR-1 through UR-4.[6]
The same section adds several mixed-use, gateway and institutional districts.[6]
Homeowners' association rules that are stricter than the zoning code still control.[6]
Off-street parking tops out at one space per guest bedroom or the existing improved spaces, whichever is greater.[6]
No sign may advertise the rental beyond what the ordinance's sign article allows.[6]
An application comes with proof of ownership, proof of insurance and a notarized affidavit of compliance.[5]
Coverage must equal the value of the dwelling plus at least $300,000 for third-party claims.[5]
The Saratoga Springs Fire Department inspects the rental within 12 months before the application. A fresh inspection report is due every year.[5]
Renewal depends on passing a new fire inspection. After a failed one, the owner has 30 days to prove the problem is fixed.[5]
The affidavit confirms a posted copy of the city noise ordinance. It also confirms a fire extinguisher rated 2A:10B:C.[5]
Occupancy follows the certificate of occupancy. On a septic system, the tank's size can lower that number.[5]
Chapter 136A as filed with the state places the property contact at a location not less than 50 miles from the rental.[5]
The city's 2026 application form describes a contact who is no more than 50 miles from the property. That person is available 24/7.[7]
Three violations in two years are grounds to suspend or revoke the license.[5]
After a first revocation, the owner waits one year to reapply. A second revocation means a five-year wait.[5]
A first violation of Chapter 136A can cost up to $2,500. Within five years, a second can reach $5,000 and a third $7,500.[5]
Every week a violation goes on is treated as a separate violation.[5]
A 2026 amendment to the city's occupancy tax chapter names short-term rentals, as Chapter 136A defines them, among the stays it taxes.[8]
Saratoga County opened a short-term rental registry under Local Law 3 of 2026, kept by the County Treasurer.[11]
That county law lets a municipal registry already in place continue. Units in that municipality register there.[11]
Rentals inside Saratoga Springs register with the city first. The city then notifies the county, which sets up the host's occupancy tax account.[10]
Complaints about a rental go to the city by email or to the police non-emergency line at 518-584-1800.[4]
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 Saratoga Springs
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 |
| Local sales tax in Saratoga Springs[3] | 3% | The state revenue department |
| Saratoga County occupancy tax[9] | 3% | The county |
| City of Saratoga Springs occupancy tax[9] | 5% | The county |
| Total on a taxable stay | 15% |
The Saratoga County Treasurer says Airbnb and Vrbo do not collect occupancy tax for hosts. Hosts in the city remit their occupancy taxes through the county's tax portal every quarter.[10]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Saratoga Springs is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 902 of Saratoga Springs's 14,849 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 61 out of every 1,000. It ranks Saratoga Springs 10th 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
- 10th of 13
- Share of housing
- 61 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $478,100
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Saratoga Springs 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 rulesLake Placid, NY
Capped
608 seasonal homes, 281 per 1,000 housing units.
Lake Placid short-term rental rulesFAQ
Saratoga Springs short-term rental questions
Can I rent a second home short term in Saratoga Springs?
Does a Saratoga Springs short-term rental license transfer when the home sells?
Is my Saratoga Springs rental licensed once I apply?
Do Saratoga Springs hosts register with Saratoga County too?
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
- Short Term Residential Rentals (STR), City of Saratoga Springs Department of Accounts, read on October 1, 2026
- Local Law No. 5 of 2024, Chapter 136A, Short Term Residential Rentals of Private Dwellings, City of Saratoga Springs, read on October 1, 2026
- Local Law No. 6 of 2025, Unified Development Ordinance Section 9.5 V, Short Term Rental - Residential, City of Saratoga Springs, read on October 1, 2026
- Short Term Rental License Application (rev. 1/8/2026), City of Saratoga Springs Department of Accounts, read on October 1, 2026
- Local Law No. 2 of 2026, amending Chapter 212, Article VII, Occupancy Tax, City of Saratoga Springs, read on October 1, 2026
- Form HT-4, Occupancy Tax, within the City of Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County Treasurer, read on October 1, 2026
- Certificate of Authority and Occupancy Tax Customer Portal Guide, Saratoga County Treasurer, read on October 1, 2026
- Local Law 3 of 2026, Saratoga County Short-Term Rental Registry and Taxation Law, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, 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.