Syracuse allows long-term rental of a permitted ADU subject to the Rental Registry Certificate under Chapter 27, Article 9 ($150 registration, inspection every 3 years). Owner-occupancy of one unit is required by ReZone Syracuse; short-term rentals (under 30 days) of an ADU also fall under rental-registry inspection and NY State sales/occupancy tax collection.
An ADU built in compliance with ReZone Syracuse may be rented to a long-term tenant, but the entire property must be registered with the Syracuse Division of Code Enforcement and obtain a Rental Registry Certificate under Chapter 27, Article 9. The registration fee is approximately $150, and a property inspection is required every three years or after a sale; civil penalties for operating an unregistered rental can run $100 per day, plus possible criminal charges. The owner-occupancy requirement under ReZone Syracuse means the owner must continue to occupy either the principal dwelling or the ADU - the ADU cannot be rented to a tenant while the principal dwelling is also rented to a separate household under the by-right ADU allowance. Short-term rentals (under 30 consecutive days) of an ADU are also subject to the Rental Registry and to New York State sales tax (4%), Onondaga County sales tax (4%), and the Onondaga County hotel/motel room occupancy tax (currently 7%). NY Multiple Residence Law and the NY Property Maintenance Code (19 NYCRR Part 1226, incorporating the IPMC with state amendments) also govern habitability, smoke and CO alarms, and minimum life-safety standards. ADUs in older homes are subject to the Syracuse Lead Paint Ordinance (Chapter 27 amendments) requiring lead-safe certification for pre-1978 rentals.
Operating an unregistered rental ADU is a Chapter 27 Article 9 violation with civil penalties of $100 per day and possible criminal charges. Renting both the principal dwelling and the ADU under the by-right ADU allowance violates ReZone Syracuse's owner-occupancy rule, exposing the property to a stop-rental order and revocation of the Rental Registry Certificate. Failure to provide a lead-safe certification for pre-1978 ADU rentals violates the Syracuse Lead Paint Ordinance.
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