Suffolk County, NY

Southampton, NY short-term rental permit

In Southampton, the town rental law reaches every rental property in the unincorporated area, whatever the zoning district says. The code calls a rental period of 14 days or less transient. Transient rentals are prohibited, though the Town Board may lift that ban for specific dates around a regionally significant event.[6]

Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.

Can you rent short term in Southampton?

Get a permit first

What you apply for: Rental permit

Seasonal homes
18,346
Housing units
46,089
Residents
69,679

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates

  • City rulePermit required
  • City fee$400
  • Tax on each stay14.25%
  • Seasonal homes398 per 1,000

Southampton NY rental permit

Southampton's rental permit application comes up for renewal every two years. The standard fee is $400 for a new application, the same as for a renewal. The file includes floor plans that show each bedroom's size, a property survey and certificates of occupancy. A safety inspection by a town code officer is required before the permit is issued. The fee drops to $250 when a licensed engineer certifies the property instead, and an architect's certification works the same way. A property in violation of Chapter 270 pays $800. Expedited service costs $750 more, with the permit issued within three business days of a passed inspection. Fees are nonrefundable.[9]

What Southampton asks of you

  • Only the owner of the real property can receive the permit. Collecting rent on a unit that has none is an offense in its own right.[6]

  • Section 270-1 of the town code defines a transient rental as a rental period of 14 days or less.[6]

  • The town's rental FAQ, revised in March 2026, sets the minimum stay at a 14-day rental. It calls anything shorter transient.[8]

  • From July 1, 2023, every ad for a rental outside the incorporated villages must include the permit number. An application number may stand in until the permit is issued.[7]

  • Once the permit arrives, the host has 10 days to put its number on every ad. Missing that deadline is grounds for suspending the permit.[7]

  • Advertising or showing the house without a permit can bring violations along with an in-violation fee. The town may also bar renting it for two years.[8]

  • Each rental houses one family. The code counts one to three people as a family, while larger groups must show they function as one.[6]

  • A bedroom needs 70 square feet for one occupant and 120 square feet for two. No bedroom may sleep more than five.[6]

  • The basement of a rental may hold two bedrooms at most.[6]

  • Overnight parking is limited to four cars at the property. That limit holds from 1:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m. throughout the rental term.[6]

  • Selling shares that grant use of a house for less than a month is prohibited.[6]

  • The application includes a weekly trash pickup contract with a carter. An owner affidavit taking charge of refuse removal is accepted instead.[6]

  • Owners designate an agent for legal process with a business or home in the town. The Town Clerk may be named instead.[6]

  • An owner who lives in a single-family house may take up to two boarders in two bedrooms without a permit. Everyone shares the kitchen, living area and entrance.[8]

  • Failing to file before the rental term starts is a violation, fined $150 to $1,000 on a first conviction.[6]

  • Other offenses under the chapter are misdemeanors. A first conviction costs $3,000 to $15,000. A repeat within 18 months costs $8,000 to $30,000.[6]

  • Every conviction adds a $100 community housing surcharge. Each day a violation continues counts as a new one.[6]

  • Suffolk County also wants every lodging facility registered with its Comptroller no later than ten days after the first rental. Skipping that step costs $50 a day.[4]

Apply on the Southampton site

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]

New York short-term rental rules

What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Southampton

Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.

Short-term rental tax layers in Southampton
LayerRateRemitted to
New York State sales tax[3]4%The state revenue department
Suffolk County sales tax[3]4.375%The state revenue department
Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District sales tax[3]0.375%The state revenue department
Suffolk County hotel and motel tax[4]5.5%The county
Total on a taxable stay14.25%

Suffolk's 2024 amendment to its hotel and motel tax treats a booking platform as an operator of the rental. That platform has to collect the 5.5% and include a way to pay it.[5]

Airbnb taxes for hosts

What the census counts

How much of Southampton is already a second home

The Census Bureau counts 18,346 of Southampton's 46,089 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 398 out of every 1,000. It ranks Southampton 5th 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
5th of 13
Share of housing
398 per 1,000
Median home value
$928,100

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.

Nearby and comparable

Where Southampton 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 rules

Shelter Island, NY

License required

1,946 seasonal homes, 566 per 1,000 housing units.

Shelter Island short-term rental rules

Southold, NY

Permit required

4,682 seasonal homes, 301 per 1,000 housing units.

Southold short-term rental rules

Lake George, NY

Permit required

805 seasonal homes, 301 per 1,000 housing units.

Lake George short-term rental rules
StatewideEvery New York city on this site, in one tableState law, the tax stack and every city we cover in New York, with what each one asks of a host.New York short-term rental rules

Keep exploring

FAQ

Southampton short-term rental questions

Can I rent my house in Southampton for a weekend?

No. The town code prohibits transient rentals, meaning 14 days or less. The one exception is a Town Board resolution suspending the ban for an event that draws large crowds.[6]

How long does a Southampton rental permit take to get?

About one to three weeks for a complete application with a clean inspection. During the summer season the town says two to four weeks is closer.[8]

Does a Southampton rental permit transfer to a new owner?

No, permits are non-transferable. Moving the property into an LLC, a trust or an estate also calls for a new permit in the new owner's name.[8]

What hotel tax applies to a Southampton rental?

Suffolk County charges 5.5% of the per diem rate for each room, effective June 1, 2023. A guest staying at least 30 consecutive days counts as a permanent resident and owes none.[4]
Read nextHow to start an AirbnbThe six steps in order, starting with the permit check.Read the guide

Sources

  1. Real Property Law section 447-c, registration, New York State Senate, read on October 1, 2026
  2. Sales tax on short-term rental unit occupancy, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, read on October 1, 2026
  3. 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
  4. Hotel / Motel Tax, Suffolk County Comptroller, read on October 1, 2026
  5. Local Law No. 1 of 2024, A Local Law to Amend the Hotel and Motel Tax Law, Suffolk County Legislature, read on October 1, 2026
  6. Local Law No. 16 of 2022, Town Code Chapter 270, Rental Properties, Town of Southampton, read on October 1, 2026
  7. Local Law No. 19 of 2023, Section 270-9, permit number in advertisements, Town of Southampton, read on October 1, 2026
  8. Rental FAQs, CP-26504 (rev. 3/2026), Town of Southampton Code Enforcement, read on October 1, 2026
  9. Rental Permit Application, CP-500 (06-2026), Town of Southampton Code Enforcement, 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

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