Primary-Residence-Only Rule
York County does not require short-term rentals to be your primary residence. Any owner-occupancy or primary-residence restriction comes from your borough or township zoning ordinance, not the county.
10 rules for unincorporated York County, Pennsylvania.
Verified from official government sources
York County itself issues no short-term-rental permit. Any permit or zoning approval is set by your borough, city, or township under the PA Municipalities Planning Code, not by the county. Check your local zoning officer.
53 P.S. §10107 (MPC, Act 247 of 1968)
"Municipality," any city of the second class A or third class, borough, incorporated town, township of the first or second class, county of the second class through eighth class, home rule municipality, or any similar general purpose unit of government which shall hereafter be created by the General Assembly.
York County has no county-wide noise ordinance for rentals. Quiet hours and noise limits are set by your borough, city, or township. State law only governs specific sources like vehicle noise.
York County levies a 5% hotel room excise tax that applies to short-term rentals of under 30 days, on top of Pennsylvania's 6% state hotel occupancy tax. Airbnb and other booking agents collect and remit both.
PA Hotel Occupancy Tax (72 P.S. §7210); York Ordinance 2019-02
The tax rate is the same as the sales tax, 6 percent. The department also collects an addition[al] 1 percent local hotel tax in Allegheny and Philadelphia counties... Some counties impose an additional tax collected by the county treasurer.
York County has no short-term-rental parking requirement. Off-street parking minimums and guest-parking limits come from your borough or township zoning code, not from the county.
York County sets no occupancy cap for short-term rentals. Maximum guest counts come from your borough or township zoning code and from the statewide building/property-maintenance code, not from the county.
York County requires no short-term-rental insurance. Any liability-coverage requirement is set by your borough or township ordinance; otherwise coverage is a matter of your policy and platform.
York County imposes no annual limit on the number of nights a home can be rented short-term. Any night cap is set by your borough or township zoning ordinance, not the county.
There is no county-wide short-term-rental registry in York County, PA. Registration or licensing, where required, is imposed by your borough, city, or township. Separately, tax collectors must register with the PA Department of Revenue.
York County sets no host-presence or on-site-manager requirement. Whether a host or local contact must be reachable or present is a municipal rule set by your borough or township.
York County does not require short-term rentals to be your primary residence. Any owner-occupancy or primary-residence restriction comes from your borough or township zoning ordinance, not the county.
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