Short-term-rental rules
Can you Airbnb in Ramapo (Town), NY?
Researched and reviewed by Jake Lee, FounderCurrent as of July 2026How this atlas is maintained
Short-term rentals are not prohibited in the unincorporated Town of Ramapo: the zoning code (Ch. 376) has no STR use, permit, or minimum-stay provision, and the town formally recognizes STRs by taxing them. Since January 1, 2025 (Local Law No. 4-2024), operators of "short term rental facilities" must register with the town Receiver of Taxes, display a certificate of authority, and collect a 5% hotel room occupancy tax on stays under 90 consecutive days. Properties inside Ramapo's villages (Suffern, Airmont, Montebello, Wesley Hills, etc.) follow their own village codes instead.
The operator's read
Can I run a short-term rental in Ramapo (Town), NY?
Go, with conditions
The rule that decides it: Zoning definitions still constrain use: a "dwelling unit" is limited to one "family" (persons related, or up to 4 unrelated, living as a single housekeeping unit), and boarding/rooming houses are excluded from the dwelling-unit definition; operating like a hotel (transient accommodations for 10+ persons with services) is a separate use requiring a Planning Board special permit (§ 376-122).
- What does Ramapo (Town) actually require?
- Operator registration required for the tax: file a certificate of registration with the Receiver of Taxes (within 3 days of commencing business), display the issued certificate of authority, keep records, and remit quarterly returns (§§ 253-65 to 253-66). The governing text is Town of Ramapo Local Law No. 4-2024 (Hotel Room Occupancy Tax), Town Code Ch. 253, Art. XVIII, §§ 253-60 to 253-72; Town Code Ch. 376 (Zoning), § 376-5 definitions and § 376-122 (Hotels).
- What stands in the way in Ramapo (Town)?
- Beyond the cap above, nothing further is recorded for Ramapo (Town).
- What does it cost to get permitted in Ramapo (Town)?
- Ramapo (Town)'s ordinance does not publish a fee schedule in the sources we hold. We confirm current fees with the municipality before you budget for them.
- How long does approval take in Ramapo (Town)?
- Ramapo (Town)'s ordinance sets no published processing time, which is true of most towns in this region. We confirm the clerk's current turnaround before you commit to a date, because an unbooked opening season costs more than the permit does.
What would you do with a property in Ramapo (Town)?
Workable. Confirm the current permit position with the municipality before you commit, then treat compliance as the first operating task rather than an afterthought. Most of the risk in Ramapo (Town) is administrative, not structural.
What the rules say in Ramapo (Town)
- No STR-specific zoning provision: Chapter 376 (Zoning) contains no short-term-rental, transient-rental, or tourist-home use, permit, or minimum-stay rule, so whole-home and room rentals under 30 nights are not expressly barred in the unincorporated town.
- Town occupancy tax (Local Law No. 4-2024, Town Code Ch. 253 Art. XVIII, effective Jan 1, 2025): "hotel" is defined to include "short term rental facilities"; operators must collect a 5% tax on the rental rate for stays under 90 consecutive days.
- Operator registration required for the tax: file a certificate of registration with the Receiver of Taxes (within 3 days of commencing business), display the issued certificate of authority, keep records, and remit quarterly returns (§§ 253-65 to 253-66).
- Rockland County's 3% hotel room occupancy tax and NYS sales tax also apply to short-term stays under the 2024 state STR law (effective April 2025); booking platforms often collect these, but liability rests with the operator.
- Zoning definitions still constrain use: a "dwelling unit" is limited to one "family" (persons related, or up to 4 unrelated, living as a single housekeeping unit), and boarding/rooming houses are excluded from the dwelling-unit definition; operating like a hotel (transient accommodations for 10+ persons with services) is a separate use requiring a Planning Board special permit (§ 376-122).
- This record covers only the unincorporated town. Ramapo's incorporated villages (Suffern, Spring Valley in part, Airmont, Chestnut Ridge, Hillburn, Kaser, Montebello, New Hempstead, New Square, Pomona in part, Sloatsburg, Wesley Hills) each have their own zoning and STR rules.
Sources: Town of Ramapo Hotel Room Occupancy Tax local law text (hearing notice with full law, Nov 2024); Town of Ramapo notice: Local Law No. 4-2024 Hotel Room Occupancy Tax; Ramapo Town Code Ch. 376 Art. I definitions (dwelling unit, family, hotel) - eCode360, read via Wayback Machine capture; Ramapo Town Code Ch. 376 Zoning chapter structure - eCode360, read via Wayback Machine capture; Town of Ramapo Code table of contents (no STR chapter) - eCode360, read via Wayback Machine capture; NY S9740 (2023-24): state enabling act for Ramapo hotel/motel occupancy tax (Tax Law 1202-jj); Rockland County Business Journal (Jan 2025): STRs allowed in Town of Ramapo; town hotel tax covers STRs; Rockland County Hotel Room Occupancy Tax (county 3% tax) - eCode360. 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.
Thinking about a short-term rental in Ramapo (Town)?
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.
Nearby Rockland towns