Short-term-rental rules
Can you Airbnb in White Plains, NY?
Researched and reviewed by Jake Lee, FounderCurrent as of July 2026How this atlas is maintained
White Plains has no short-term-rental-specific law (the Municipal Code has zero "short-term rental" provisions), but renting out any non-exempt dwelling unit, for any duration, requires an annual Rental Housing License from the Department of Building under Municipal Code ch. 4-29; owner-occupied single-family homes, two-family homes with one owner-occupied unit, and condo/co-op buildings are exempt from that license. Zoning is a permissive-use scheme ("any use not specifically listed as being permitted shall be deemed to be prohibited") that confines transient-guest uses (hotels, extended-stay hotels) to commercial districts and expressly excludes "tourist homes" from home occupations, so operating a home as recurring transient lodging in a residence district sits in a legal gray area and could be treated as a prohibited unlisted use.
Going deeper? Read the full White Plains owner's guide.
The operator's read
Can I run a short-term rental in White Plains, NY?
Go, with conditions
The rule that decides it: Exempt from the rental license: owner-occupied single-family dwellings; two-family dwellings with one unit owner-occupied; condominium and co-operative buildings; multifamily buildings over 12 units; hotels, motels, rooming houses, group homes, nursing homes, assisted living; and government-managed buildings (sec. 4-28-3). A hosted (owner-occupied single-family) rental therefore needs no city license.
- What does White Plains actually require?
- Rental Housing License required (Municipal Code ch. 4-29, adopted 6/18/2018 as secs. 4-28-1 to 4-28-16, eff. 7/3/2018): it is unlawful to operate any rental dwelling unit until the Department of Building issues a Rental Housing License; a "Rental Housing Unit" is any dwelling unit "being rented, or intended to be rented" with no minimum-duration threshold, so rentals under 30 nights are captured; application must be filed at least 30 days before offering a unit for rent, with a city inspection, floor sketches, $125 + $10 per non-owner-occupied unit initial fee, annual renewal at half that, and fines of $200 to $1,000 per day for violations. Transient occupancy is zoned as a separate use: "Hotel" and "Extended Stay Hotel" are defined by occupancy of "transient guests" and appear in the use schedule only in central business/downtown districts (largely by special permit); "tourist homes" are expressly NOT a "customary home occupation" (Zoning Ordinance sec. 2.4); "Rooming Houses" (a dwelling with 3+ rooming units) require a special permit (sec. 6.7.2) plus a separate facility license under Municipal Code ch. 9-9, which also licenses "transient hotels" and motels. The governing text is White Plains Municipal Code ch. 4-29 (Rental Housing Registry and License Program); Zoning Ordinance of the City of White Plains secs. 2.4 (definitions), 5.1-5.2 (use schedule/list; unlisted uses prohibited), 6.7.2 (rooming houses); Municipal Code ch. 9-9 (Special Residence Facilities).
- What stands in the way in White Plains?
- Practical effect: an under-30-night rental is not expressly banned, and a licensed rental of a dwelling unit is lawful, but repeatedly operating a dwelling as transient lodging (hotel/tourist-home style) in a residence district risks enforcement as an unlisted, prohibited use; room-by-room hosted rentals are effectively capped at 1-2 roomers per dwelling unit.
- What does it cost to get permitted in White Plains?
- White Plains'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 White Plains?
- White Plains'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 White Plains?
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 White Plains is administrative, not structural.
What the rules say in White Plains
- No STR-specific ordinance: a full-text search of the White Plains Municipal Code (current through the June 2026 Municode supplement) returns no "short-term rental" provision, no night caps, and no STR permit scheme.
- Rental Housing License required (Municipal Code ch. 4-29, adopted 6/18/2018 as secs. 4-28-1 to 4-28-16, eff. 7/3/2018): it is unlawful to operate any rental dwelling unit until the Department of Building issues a Rental Housing License; a "Rental Housing Unit" is any dwelling unit "being rented, or intended to be rented" with no minimum-duration threshold, so rentals under 30 nights are captured; application must be filed at least 30 days before offering a unit for rent, with a city inspection, floor sketches, $125 + $10 per non-owner-occupied unit initial fee, annual renewal at half that, and fines of $200 to $1,000 per day for violations.
- Exempt from the rental license: owner-occupied single-family dwellings; two-family dwellings with one unit owner-occupied; condominium and co-operative buildings; multifamily buildings over 12 units; hotels, motels, rooming houses, group homes, nursing homes, assisted living; and government-managed buildings (sec. 4-28-3). A hosted (owner-occupied single-family) rental therefore needs no city license.
- Zoning is permissive-list: "Any 'use' not specifically listed as being permitted shall be deemed to be prohibited" (Zoning Ordinance, Section 5 explanation). Residence districts (R1-30 etc.) list only one-family, two-family, and multi-family dwellings as principal residential uses, plus the keeping of not more than two "roomers" per dwelling unit (one roomer in one- and two-family dwellings in the lower-density districts) as a permitted accessory use. No short-term-rental, transient-rental, or tourist-home use is listed in any residence district.
- Transient occupancy is zoned as a separate use: "Hotel" and "Extended Stay Hotel" are defined by occupancy of "transient guests" and appear in the use schedule only in central business/downtown districts (largely by special permit); "tourist homes" are expressly NOT a "customary home occupation" (Zoning Ordinance sec. 2.4); "Rooming Houses" (a dwelling with 3+ rooming units) require a special permit (sec. 6.7.2) plus a separate facility license under Municipal Code ch. 9-9, which also licenses "transient hotels" and motels.
- Practical effect: an under-30-night rental is not expressly banned, and a licensed rental of a dwelling unit is lawful, but repeatedly operating a dwelling as transient lodging (hotel/tourist-home style) in a residence district risks enforcement as an unlisted, prohibited use; room-by-room hosted rentals are effectively capped at 1-2 roomers per dwelling unit.
Sources: Zoning Ordinance of the City of White Plains (official PDF, amended through Feb. 5, 2024); City of White Plains: Zoning Ordinance page; Rental Housing Registry and License Program ordinance (adopted 6/18/2018, official PDF); City of White Plains: Rental Housing Registry & License Program page; White Plains Municipal Code ch. 4-29, Rental Housing Registry and License Program (Municode); White Plains Municipal Code (Municode, current through June 2026 supplement; full-text searched via Municode API). 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 White Plains?
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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