Woodstock, NY short-term rental limits
Woodstock brought short-term rentals into Chapter 260 of its zoning law with Local Law 1 of 2019. An STR Home is allowed outright in every district except FW. A rental without the owner on site needs a special permit wherever it is allowed.[6]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Woodstock?
Limited number allowed
What you apply for: Annual operating permit
- Seasonal homes
- 622
- Housing units
- 4,296
- Residents
- 6,258
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleCapped
- City feeNone published
- Tax on each stay12%
- Seasonal homes145 per 1,000
Woodstock NY short-term rental permit
Woodstock requires an annual operating permit from its Building Department for each short-term rental. The law also calls this a Short-Term Rental Registration, valid for one calendar year. Only the property owner may apply. The file includes a parking layout, a garbage removal plan and a safety plan posted in the unit. A copy of the owner's Ulster County registration is attached. The Town Board sets caps and fees each year.[6]
What Woodstock asks of you
An STR Home rents one or two bedrooms to four lodgers at most. The owner of an STR Home must live on the property.[6]
An STR Establishment rents three to five bedrooms to ten lodgers at most, again with the owner living on site.[6]
A non-owner-occupied rental covers the whole house while no host or owner is present.[6]
That type is limited to 180 days per calendar year, including no more than 26 weekends. The town counts Friday evening through Monday morning as a weekend.[6]
Each individual owner may register or hold an interest in just one non-owner-occupied unit.[6]
A non-owner-occupied rental names a host who lives within 10 miles. Owner and host answer guest issues within 24 hours.[6]
Occupancy is two guests per bedroom, with children 12 or younger left out of the count. The maximum is posted inside.[6]
Parking needs one space per bedroom, on top of the spaces the main residence requires.[6]
Garbage receptacles may not sit out for more than 24 hours.[6]
Hosts hand guests copies of local laws, especially the noise, fire and safety rules. They also give out a map of the property lines.[6]
Every print or online listing shows the registration number. The number is also posted inside, while on-site advertising is prohibited.[6]
A yearly fire and safety inspection report goes with each renewal application.[6]
Three or more violations of local laws may lead to revocation of the permit.[6]
Ulster County issues its certificate of authority to collect occupancy tax at no cost, and the host displays it at the lodging.[5]
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 Woodstock
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 |
| Total on a taxable stay | 12% |
On a booking arranged privately, outside any platform, Ulster County expects the host to collect and remit its 4%.[4]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Woodstock is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 622 of Woodstock's 4,296 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 145 out of every 1,000. It ranks Woodstock 9th 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
- 9th of 13
- Share of housing
- 145 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $604,700
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Woodstock 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 rulesLake Placid, NY
Capped
608 seasonal homes, 281 per 1,000 housing units.
Lake Placid short-term rental rulesSaratoga Springs, NY
Capped
902 seasonal homes, 61 per 1,000 housing units.
Saratoga Springs short-term rental rulesFAQ
Woodstock short-term rental questions
How many short-term rentals does Woodstock allow?
Can an LLC register a Woodstock short-term rental?
Does a Woodstock registration carry over to a buyer?
What are quiet hours in Woodstock?
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
- Register your Hotel/Motel/Short-Term Rental, Ulster County Department of Finance, read on October 1, 2026
- Local Law No. 1 of 2019, Bed and Breakfasts and Short-Term Rentals, Zoning Law Chapter 260, Town of Woodstock Town Board, read on October 1, 2026
- Local Law No. 1 of 2018, Noise Law, Town of Woodstock Town Board, 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 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.
Check-in instructions
The message a guest reads before getting in: access, keys, WiFi, parking, contact. English or bilingual output.