North Hempstead, NY Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Article VI of Chapter 2 treats the permit and the registration as two distinct, stacked requirements. Section 2-103 makes it unlawful to establish, maintain or rent a dwelling unit without a valid rental occupancy permit; § 2-104 requires the owner to apply in writing to the Building Department, in duplicate, with tenant counts, a tax map description, room dimensions and a survey or site plan, plus a certificate of occupancy. Section 2-105 sets a nonrefundable permit application fee under the Town Fee Schedule, with a reduced fee for an owner age 62 or older renting a single unit in their primary residence.

Permits run two years (§ 2-107) and the Code Enforcement Officer keeps a register of every permit by street address (§ 2-108). Separately, § 2-113 requires the owner to complete and file the rental registration form itself before any tenant takes up residence, and to file a new form whenever the unit becomes vacant and a new tenant moves in. Section 2-115 makes both the permit and the registration filing conditions precedent to lawfully collecting rent, along with giving a written receipt for any cash payment.

Brokers face their own duties: § 2-116 bars listing a unit without a current permit, and § 2-117 requires a broker who earns a commission to file the registration form within five business days if the owner has not. Section 2-119 lists rebuttable presumptions, such as multiple mailboxes, gas meters or utility accounts in another name, that the Code Enforcement Officer can use to prove an unregistered rental exists.