10 rules for unincorporated Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Verified from official government sources
Chester County does not issue short-term-rental permits. Whether an Airbnb or VRBO needs a use permit, zoning approval, or license is decided by your borough, city, or township under Pennsylvania's Municipalities Planning Code. Ask your municipal zoning office.
Chester County has no noise ordinance for short-term rentals. Noise and quiet-hours rules that apply to guests come from your borough or township ordinance, enforced by local police, under the municipality's PA Municipalities Planning Code police power.
Short-term rentals in Chester County owe a 5% county Hotel Room Rental Tax under Ordinance #2019-2, on top of Pennsylvania's 6% state hotel occupancy tax — about 11% combined on stays under 30 nights. This is the genuine county-level rule.
Chester County Ordinance #2019-2
Under Chester County Ordinance #2019-2, every business holding itself out as a 'hotel' must apply a 5% tax to each and every rental of a room with a bed.
Chester County imposes no parking requirements on short-term rentals. Off-street-parking minimums and on-street restrictions for rentals are set by your borough or township zoning code under the PA Municipalities Planning Code, not the county.
Chester County sets no maximum-guest limit for short-term rentals. Occupancy caps — often tied to bedrooms or parking — are imposed by individual boroughs and townships through zoning ordinances under the PA Municipalities Planning Code, if at all.
Chester County does not require short-term-rental hosts to carry liability insurance. Any insurance requirement comes from your municipality's rental ordinance or your platform and lease, not from the county or Pennsylvania statute.
Chester County places no cap on how many nights a year you can rent short-term. Any limit on rental nights is imposed by your borough or township zoning ordinance under the PA Municipalities Planning Code, if adopted at all.
Chester County does not run a short-term-rental registry, but every operator renting rooms for under 30 nights must register with the county for the Hotel Room Rental Tax. Separate registration or licensing of the rental itself is a municipal matter.
Chester County has no rule requiring a host to be present during a stay. Any host-presence or on-site-manager requirement is set by individual boroughs and townships in their zoning ordinances under the PA Municipalities Planning Code.
Chester County does not require that a short-term rental be the host's primary residence. Whether investor-owned or non-owner-occupied rentals are allowed is decided by each borough or township zoning ordinance under the PA Municipalities Planning Code.
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