10 verified short-term rentals rules for Utica, New York, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Utica regulates short-term rentals (30 days or less) through its Zoning Code. They are prohibited in R1 single-family zones, allowed after Department Review in CBD, UMU and NMU districts, and require a Special Use Permit plus Site Plan Review in the RM district.
Utica Zoning Code, Definitions (Short-Term Rental)
The rental or lease of any dwelling unit or dwelling, for a period of thirty (30) days or less, to one entity. Motels, hotels, inns, and bed and breakfasts are excluded from this definition.
Utica has no separate STR noise ordinance. Guests must comply with the city's general noise and nuisance provisions in the Code of Ordinances, and RM-district STR approvals may impose conditions addressing noise and neighborhood disturbance.
Short-term rentals in Utica are subject to Oneida County's 5% hotel and motel occupancy (bed) tax, plus the 8.75% combined New York State and Oneida County sales tax. Booking platforms generally collect and remit these; independent hosts must collect and remit them directly.
Oneida County short-term rental local law / occupancy tax
all STRs will be subject to Oneida County's 5% hotel and motel occupancy tax, in addition to the existing 8.75% sales tax rate.
Utica's Zoning Code has no short-term-rental-specific parking count. Parking is addressed through the underlying dwelling's off-street parking requirements and, for RM-district STRs, through Site Plan Review, where the Planning Board can evaluate parking, traffic and neighborhood impacts.
Under Utica's zoning standards for short-term rentals, a host may accommodate a maximum of two paying guests at a time. Rooms used by guests must have unobstructed access and emergency egress, and general building and property-maintenance occupancy standards also apply.
Utica's Zoning Code does not mandate a specific liability-insurance amount for short-term rentals. Hosts should carry adequate homeowner or landlord/STR liability coverage; many booking platforms provide host protection, but it does not replace the host's own policy.
Utica's Zoning Code does not set an annual cap on the number of nights a short-term rental may operate. Instead, STRs are controlled by district (prohibited in R1), by permit or review, by the two-paying-guest limit, and by the host-presence and permanent-occupant requirements.
Utica STR hosts must register with Oneida County before listing on Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia or similar platforms. Registration is currently free; the county-issued registration number must appear in every listing. Utica also requires rental dwellings to be registered and inspected under its city Rental Dwelling Registry.
Yes. Utica's short-term rental standards require the host to be present during guest stays. This owner-occupied, host-present model, paired with a two-paying-guest maximum, means unhosted whole-home rentals are not permitted.
Yes. Utica's short-term rental standards require the host to be a permanent occupant of the dwelling and either the owner or a tenant whose lease allows subletting. This effectively limits STRs to a resident's own home rather than absentee whole-house rentals.
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Utica city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Oneida County →