Short-term-rental rules
Can you Airbnb in Lewisboro, NY?
Researched and reviewed by Jake Lee, FounderCurrent as of July 2026How this atlas is maintained
Short-term rentals are currently legal by default in the Town of Lewisboro: the town code (including zoning Chapter 220) contains no short-term-rental provision, no rental permit or registration requirement, and no zoning language excluding transient occupancy from dwellings. However, a local law amending Chapter 220 to regulate STRs (permit required, roughly 180-day annual cap, 30-consecutive-day max, owner must be a full-time town resident, one STR per permittee) is actively pending: the public hearing opened March 23, 2026 and was continued April 27, 2026, with the board planning a work session and possibly a revised draft, so owners should expect a permit regime soon.
What the rules say in Lewisboro
- No STR-specific law is currently in force: town news coverage of the March 23, 2026 hearing states short-term rentals are 'currently unregulated' in Lewisboro, and the code's chapter list (as of a March 2, 2026 capture) contains no short-term-rental, rental-property, or rental-registration chapter.
- Zoning (Ch. 220) does not implicitly bar STRs: 'dwelling unit' is defined simply as 'a building or portion thereof providing complete housekeeping facilities for a family,' with no permanency/non-transient requirement; 'family' is a group of related individuals or not more than 4 unrelated individuals living as a single housekeeping unit.
- Renting rooms within an owner-occupied home to paying transient guests fits the defined 'bed-and-breakfast establishment' use (owner-occupied dwelling, max 3 bedrooms for paying transient guests, added by L.L. No. 3-2015), which is allowed in one-family residence districts only by special permit under sec. 220-23A(18); hosted room-rental STRs arguably need that special permit.
- PENDING: a proposed local law amending Chapter 220 would make it unlawful to rent an STR without a town short-term-rental permit (issued by the building inspector), cap STR use at 180 days per calendar year and 30 consecutive days, limit a permittee to one STR in town at a time, and require the permittee to be a full-time resident and property owner of the town. Public hearing opened March 23, 2026, continued April 27, 2026; as of the April 27 minutes the board planned a future work session and, if the draft changes, a new public hearing. No adoption found as of early July 2026.
- General town ordinances still apply to rental properties: e.g., Ch. 160 Noise, Ch. 134 Garbage/Rubbish, Ch. 92 Building Code Administration, Ch. 164 Outdoor Special Events.
- Lewisboro contains no incorporated villages (South Salem, Cross River, Vista, Waccabuc, Goldens Bridge are hamlets), so the town code applies town-wide.
Sources: Town of Lewisboro Code, eCode360 table of contents (inspected via Wayback capture of 2026-03-02; no STR or rental chapter); Lewisboro Code Ch. 220 Zoning, Art. I Purpose and Definitions, sec. 220-2 (dwelling, dwelling unit, family, hotel, bed-and-breakfast definitions; inspected via Wayback capture); Lewisboro Code Ch. 220 Zoning, Art. IV District Regulations, sec. 220-23 permitted uses in residence districts (inspected via Wayback capture of 2024-06-13); Katonah-Lewisboro Times: residents debate proposed STR ordinance at March 23, 2026 public hearing (STRs currently unregulated; hearing left open); Lewisboro Town Board minutes, April 27, 2026 (continued public hearing on Ch. 220 amendment for STR regulation; future work session planned); Lewisboro Town Board minutes, March 23, 2026 (public hearing on proposed STR regulations); Truesdale Lake community post announcing the proposed Lewisboro STR code and March 23, 2026 hearing (proposal text in Feb 9, 2026 agenda packet pp. 17-24). Last reviewed 2026-07.
How short-term rentals are regulated in New York
- New York has no single statewide short-term-rental ban. Towns, villages, and cities set their own rules through local ordinances and zoning, so rules can differ sharply between neighboring municipalities in the same county.
- Short stays in New York are generally subject to state and local sales tax, and many counties add a local occupancy (hotel/motel) tax, often collected by the booking platform on the host's behalf.
- Common local controls include permits or registration, primary-residence requirements, and zoning limits on which districts allow short-term use. In New York, a town and a village inside it can each have their own rule.
- Rules change. An ordinance can be added or amended at any time. Always confirm the current rule with the municipality before listing.
Lewisboro short-term-rental FAQ
Can I run a short-term rental (Airbnb) in Lewisboro, NY?
Short-term rentals are currently legal by default in the Town of Lewisboro: the town code (including zoning Chapter 220) contains no short-term-rental provision, no rental permit or registration requirement, and no zoning language excluding transient occupancy from dwellings. However, a local law amending Chapter 220 to regulate STRs (permit required, roughly 180-day annual cap, 30-consecutive-day max, owner must be a full-time town resident, one STR per permittee) is actively pending: the public hearing opened March 23, 2026 and was continued April 27, 2026, with the board planning a work session and possibly a revised draft, so owners should expect a permit regime soon.
Do I need a permit or registration to run an STR in Lewisboro?
No STR-specific law is currently in force: town news coverage of the March 23, 2026 hearing states short-term rentals are 'currently unregulated' in Lewisboro, and the code's chapter list (as of a March 2, 2026 capture) contains no short-term-rental, rental-property, or rental-registration chapter.
What taxes apply to a short-term rental in Lewisboro, New York?
Short-term stays in New York are generally subject to state and local sales tax, and many counties add a local occupancy (hotel) tax, often collected for you by the booking platform. A tax professional can confirm what applies to your property.
Can Palisade Stays manage a short-term rental in Lewisboro?
Palisade Stays launches and runs short-term rentals for owners end to end. Where a short-term rental works in Lewisboro, we can handle setup, listing, guest operations, and turnovers. Start with a quick property-fit assessment.
Thinking about a short-term rental in Lewisboro?
Palisade Stays launches and runs short-term rentals for owners end to end. Tell us about your property and we'll see if it's a fit.
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