FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 15, 2023

City of Kingston Launches Online Short-Term Rental Registration Portal

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble and the Building Safety Department are pleased to announce that the City of Kingston has launched an online short-term rental registration portal and licensing process.

The City of Kingston’s new form-based zoning code, passed into law on August 2, 2023, has provisions for short-term rentals that all City of Kingston STR operators must follow. Per the new code, the number of full-time short-term rentals is currently capped at 106 permits (1% of the City’s housing units). There is no cap on limited short-term rentals (less than 30 days a year) and resident-occupied short-term rentals.

Registration is required for full-time short-term rental properties, limited short-term rentals, and resident-occupied short-term rentals, and a fee will be applied. The City of Kingston’s zoning map can be found here. Additionally, full-time short term rental permits are only allowed in T5 or T4 zoning transects and only one short-term rental is allowed per property. No short-term rental permits will be issued for any accessory dwelling unit.

Once registered, the Building Safety Department will conduct an inspection of each unit and, if approved, the owner will receive a license to operate.

“While creating Kingston’s new zoning code, our team spoke to many community members and did a tremendous amount of public outreach. One of the significant changes to come from the public’s input, is a reduction to the limit of allowable short-term rentals,” said Mayor Noble. “Now that the zoning code is in effect, we are pleased to get this new portal up and running, and to have a formal system of STR regulation in place. A notification has been sent to all current STR permit holders to inform them of the new process, and we have contacted all unregistered listings as well. The goal of this permitting is to increase the housing units available for occupancy in the City of Kingston and ultimately to help reduce our critical lack of housing.” 

"The City of Kingston has zero tolerance for unpermitted short-term rentals,” said Director of Housing Initiatives Bartek Starodaj. “I encourage all short-term rental operators to register with the City of Kingston with our new, easy-to-use registration platform.”

Stephan Knox, Director of Building Safety said, “I believe the new short term rental regulations strike the appropriate balance of allowing property owners to realize needed income while not substantially reducing long term rental housing needs. Effective enforcement will be paramount to the program’s success and use of the portal will assist residents in the efficient management of required documentation.”     

Effective immediately, renting or advertising your home for rent on a short-term basis without a license is in

violation of the City of Kingston’s zoning code. 

Any unlicensed STR will be subject to enforcement and significant fines. The current violation fees, per day rented or per day advertised, are $1,000 for the first instance, $5,000 for the second instance, and $7,500 for a third or subsequent instance.

The City of Kingston short-term rental registration portal is https://cityofkingston.munirevs.com/.

A fact sheet with frequently asked questions can be found here. Additional questions can be directed to the City of Kingston’s Office of Housing Initiatives at 845-334-3928 or the Building Safety Department at 845-331-1217.

To report complaints with a City of Kingston STR property, visit https://str.govos.com/complaint/?cityid=1684.

The new citywide form-based zoning code was developed over the course of three years with community input and the guidance of consultants at Dover Kohl & Partners. The new code encourages affordable housing, promotes walkable and accessible neighborhoods, safeguards historic building patterns, and preserves Kingston’s open spaces. The new code also allows the development of mixed-use spaces and diverse housing types, provides incentives and mandates for creating affordable housing, regulates short-term rentals, and sets standards for creating a safer, more walkable city.

More about the new zoning code at https://engagekingston.com/kingston-forward.