10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
Verified from official government sources
Berks County does not zone or permit short-term rentals countywide. Under Pennsylvania's Municipalities Planning Code, your municipality decides. Reading and townships like Bern require a local STR permit; verify with your city or township before hosting.
Berks County has no STR-specific noise ordinance. Guest noise is handled by municipal noise ordinances and by Pennsylvania's disorderly-conduct law (18 Pa.C.S. §5503), which police can enforce for unreasonable noise at any rental.
18 Pa.C.S. §5503(a)(2)
A person is guilty of disorderly conduct if, with intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof, he ... makes unreasonable noise.
Short-term stays in Berks County face a 5% county hotel room rental tax plus Pennsylvania's 6% state hotel occupancy tax — roughly 11% total. The county tax is filed monthly with the Treasurer; the state tax is collected by operators or platforms.
72 P.S. §7210 (Tax Reform Code §210)
an excise tax of six per cent of the rent upon every occupancy of a room or rooms in a hotel in this Commonwealth, which tax shall be collected by the operator from the occupant and paid over to the Commonwealth
Berks County sets no STR parking requirement. Off-street parking minimums for short-term rentals are a municipal zoning matter — Reading and townships set them — and on-street parking follows local traffic ordinances, not county rules.
Berks County sets no countywide occupancy cap for short-term rentals. Maximum guest counts come from your municipality's zoning or STR ordinance and from the property maintenance code's habitable-space standards, not from the county.
Berks County does not require short-term-rental insurance. Some municipalities do: the Township of Bern conditions its STR permit on proof of liability coverage of at least $500,000. Requirements vary, so confirm with your city or township.
Berks County sets no annual cap on short-term-rental nights. Any limit on how many nights per year you may rent is a municipal decision under the Municipalities Planning Code; most Berks municipalities set no night cap, but Reading and others regulate by zoning district.
There is no countywide STR registration in Berks County. You do, however, register for the Berks County Hotel Room Excise Tax and the PA Sales/Hotel Occupancy Tax. Some municipalities (e.g., Bern Township) also require a local rental registration.
Berks County has no rule requiring a host to be present or nearby during a short-term rental. Any host-presence or local-contact requirement is set by your municipality's STR ordinance, not by the county or the state.
Berks County imposes no primary-residence requirement on short-term rentals. Whether a rental must be your primary home is a municipal choice under the Municipalities Planning Code; most Berks townships do not require it, but check your locality.
1 cities in Berks County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Berks County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Berks County Ordinance Hub →