Ulster County, NY Short-Term Rental Regulation by Town (2026 Update)

Short-term rental rules in Ulster County are written town by town, and they change often. A home that is easy to rent in one town can be capped, restricted, or effectively off-limits a few miles away, and several towns have adopted, amended, or frozen their laws just in the last two years. This guide is our plain-English read of where each town stands, reviewed in July 2026 against the towns' own local laws. It is a starting point, not legal advice, and the single most reliable answer is always the town's building or code-enforcement office for your specific address.

Two things that apply almost everywhere

Ulster County occupancy tax

Regardless of your town, Ulster County treats short-term rentals as hotels for tax purposes. Owners must register with the Ulster County Department of Finance and remit the county room-occupancy tax. Airbnb collects and remits this for many hosts, but you are generally still required to register and file. New York State has also begun implementing a statewide short-term-rental registry, so state obligations may apply on top of county and town rules.

The village-or-city trap

Several place names in Ulster County belong to two separate governments with different rules. The most common mistakes: the City of Kingston is not the Town of Kingston; the Village of New Paltz is not the Town of New Paltz; the Village of Saugerties is not the Town of Saugerties; and hamlets like Accord, Kerhonkson, Stone Ridge, and West Hurley are governed by their parent town, not by the hamlet name. Confirm which government your parcel actually sits in before anything else, because the rules can be opposite on the same road.

Short-term rental rules by town

City of Kingston

Whole-home short-term rentals require a permit under the City's Form-Based Code (Section 405.21) and are capped citywide at about 106 permits. The cap was first reached in 2024, and since then the City reopens a short application window whenever non-renewals drop it below the cap, awarding the openings by random selection with a waitlist, so whole-home availability comes and goes. Owner-occupied room rentals and limited-use permits are not capped. Check the City permit portal for live availability.

Town of Kingston

A separate government from the City. The Town regulates short-term rentals under its own Chapter 314, limits them to single-family homes, and requires an annual permit that does not transfer to a new owner. Confirm with the Town's code office.

Town of Saugerties

Short-term rentals are allowed with an annual permit under Local Law No. 2 of 2022 (Town Code Chapter 194). Only the owner may apply, the home must be a single-family dwelling or permitted accessory apartment, and each permit includes a yearly inspection. The Town does not require owner-occupancy and has not enacted a cap, though it reserved the right to add one. Homes inside the Village of Saugerties follow a separate Village rental law.

Town of Woodstock

One of the stricter towns. Rentals require an annual permit plus county registration, and permits are capped townwide with a waiting list once full (Chapter 260, Local Law No. 1 of 2019). Owner-occupied homes have the most flexibility; non-owner-occupied "investment" rentals are limited in the nights and weekends they can be booked, must name a local contact, and generally need a special permit. The cap and fees are reset by the Town Board each year.

Town of Rochester (Accord, Kerhonkson)

Accord and part of Kerhonkson sit in the Town of Rochester, which requires a Short-Term Transient Rental permit on a two-year cycle with an annual inspection (Local Law No. 3 of 2021, Section 140-26A). Rentals are limited to single-family and two-family homes in certain zoning districts. The Town caps the number of new non-owner-occupied permits but does not cap owner-occupied ones. Note that Kerhonkson also extends into the Town of Wawarsing, which adopted its own similar law (Local Law No. 2 of 2024), so confirm which town your parcel is in.

Town of Marbletown (Stone Ridge, High Falls)

Short-term rentals are permitted as an accessory use in all zoning districts except Industrial, with an annual permit, county registration, and a yearly inspection (Local Law No. 4 of 2019). Each owner is limited to one owner-occupied and one non-owner-occupied rental, occupancy is capped at ten guests, and a 2025 law adds restrictions on renting units where the property has an accessory dwelling unit. Parts of High Falls fall in neighboring towns, so confirm which town governs your parcel.

Town of Hurley (Hurley, West Hurley, Glenford)

Hurley allows short-term rentals only when the home is the owner's primary residence and the owner is present during each stay (Section 210-33, Local Law No. 2 of 2021 as amended). Non-owner-occupied rentals are not permitted. An annual permit and inspection are required, and occupancy is capped at two guests per bedroom, up to six people.

Town of New Paltz

In the Town of New Paltz, short-term rentals are allowed but non-owner-occupied rentals must obtain an annual rental registration permit with an inspection (Town Code Chapter 110, Local Law No. 4 of 2021). There is no owner-occupancy requirement or district confinement for the Town. This is different from the Village of New Paltz (below), which is much more restrictive, so scope your address carefully.

Village of New Paltz

The Village is stricter than the Town. In residential districts, short-term rentals are limited to the host's own primary residence, and whole-home rentals are generally allowed only in commercial districts with a special permit (Village Code Chapter 129, Local Law No. 1 of 2021).

Town of Olive (Shokan, West Shokan, Boiceville, Olivebridge)

Olive requires a permit for any short-term rental under Chapter 114 (Local Law No. 4 of 2021, amended most recently by Local Law No. 2 of 2025). Owner-occupied rentals are not capped, but non-owner-occupied rentals are limited by a town-wide cap the Town Board resets every January (24 permits for 2026), and each owner may hold only one permit. Confirm current permit availability with the town.

Town of Shandaken (Phoenicia, Pine Hill, Mt. Tremper)

Shandaken requires a license under Chapter 104 (Local Law No. 2 of 2022, updated by Local Law No. 4 of 2024). Licenses for owners whose primary residence is in Shandaken remain available, but non-resident licenses are capped at 100, and per the town's current guidance that cap has been met, so new non-resident licenses are not being issued. Shandaken also does not accept Airbnb-provided insurance in place of the owner's own policy.

Town of Lloyd (Highland, Clintondale)

Lloyd requires two approvals: a special use permit from the Planning Board and a short-term rental permit from the Building Department (Section 100-42.1, Local Law No. 7 of 2022, amended 2024). Rentals are allowed only as an accessory use to a single- or two-family home in designated districts, and an owner may hold at most two permits. Permits run two years with annual inspections.

Town of Esopus (Port Ewen, West Park, Ulster Park)

Esopus allows short-term rentals with an annual operating permit in certain districts (Section 123-13, adopted as part of Local Law No. 8 of 2021). Owner-occupied rentals are lighter; non-owner-occupied rentals additionally require Planning Board site plan approval, a host within about fifteen driving miles, and at least one million dollars in liability insurance. Permits do not transfer when a property is sold.

Town of Rosendale (Rosendale, Tillson, Bloomington)

Rosendale adopted a short-term rental law in 2024 (Local Law No. 5 of 2024, Chapter 75, Section 75-28), so this town is newly regulated. Operating requires a Short-Term Transient Rental permit on a two-year cycle with inspections, the law limits an owner to two permitted properties, and it requires liability insurance. Confirm the current process with the town.

Town of Marlborough (Marlboro, Milton)

Marlborough regulates short-term rentals under its zoning code (Section 155-32.3, Local Law No. 2 of 2021). It requires an annual permit and inspection plus county registration, and notably the code requires that an individual owner be a resident of the Town of Marlborough. Rental of multiple-dwelling units as short-term rentals is prohibited.

Town of Plattekill (Modena, Ardonia)

Plattekill adopted a new short-term rental law in early 2026. Per the town's own notice, every rental must be registered and hold a town operating permit in addition to an Ulster County tax certificate, and the town ran an application deadline in the spring of 2026. Because the specifics were still rolling out, contact the Town of Plattekill Building Department directly to confirm the current process before operating.

Town of Denning (Claryville, Sundown)

Denning permits short-term rentals by special use permit under its zoning law, but as of July 2026 the town has a moratorium on new short-term rental permit applications in effect, currently running through August 11, 2026, while it finalizes an updated law that may add a cap. This is the most time-sensitive entry on this page, so confirm the current status with the Denning Town Clerk before relying on it.

Town of Shawangunk (Wallkill, part of Pine Bush)

Shawangunk adopted a Short-Term Rental Safety and Inspection License law in 2025 (Local Law No. 3 of 2025). It allows rentals with an annual license, inspections, a one-license-per-lot limit, and an occupancy cap, and the Town Board may cap the total number of licenses by resolution. Note the hamlet of Pine Bush straddles Shawangunk and the Town of Crawford in Orange County, where short-term rentals are currently prohibited, so confirming your parcel's town is essential here.

Village of Ellenville

Ellenville regulates short-term rentals under its zoning code (Chapter 227, Section 227-25.6, first adopted in 2020 and amended in early 2026). A yearly village permit is required, rentals are limited to 90 nights per year, the operator must be the property owner, and occupancy is capped. An "Ellenville" address in the surrounding Town of Wawarsing follows the separate town rules instead, so confirm which government applies.

Town of Wawarsing

Wawarsing adopted a short-term rental law in 2024 (Local Law No. 2 of 2024) requiring a permit, a two-year cycle, and annual inspections, with a cap on new non-owner-occupied permits. Confirm current requirements with the town, and note the Village of Ellenville inside Wawarsing has its own separate law.

Town of Gardiner

As of July 2026, Gardiner had not adopted a dedicated short-term rental law, so rentals generally operate under existing residential zoning plus Ulster County occupancy tax. Gardiner has been considering rules for several years, and figures such as a 100-permit cap come from an earlier proposal that was not adopted, so this is one of the more likely towns to change. Confirm the current status with the town.

Town of Ulster (Lake Katrine, East Kingston, Ruby)

As of July 2026, the Town of Ulster does not appear to have a dedicated short-term rental law. Rentals are governed by the town's general zoning and by Ulster County occupancy-tax registration. Because there is no short-term rental ordinance, general zoning categories may still apply depending on how a property is used, so confirm your situation with the town.

Town of Hardenburgh

As of July 2026, Hardenburgh has no dedicated short-term rental law. It has a zoning code that applies one set of rules townwide and does not mention short-term rentals by name, so how the town treats whole-house rentals is not clearly settled. County occupancy tax and the state registry may still apply. Confirm with the town clerk before listing.

Need help figuring out what applies to your house?

Regulation is one of the first things we sort out when we take on a home, and it is a common reason owners come to us in the first place. If you are not sure where your town stands or whether your property qualifies, tell us about your home and Justin, a licensed New York broker who rents his own homes here, will point you to the current rule for your address as part of a free revenue projection. You can also see a quick town-by-town snapshot on our regulations page.

This guide was reviewed in July 2026 against each town's published local law. It is general information, not legal advice. Short-term rental laws change, and towns set fees and caps by resolution, so always confirm the current requirements for your specific address with the town or city before buying or listing.