White Plains, NY Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)

Neither Section 4-28 of the White Plains Municipal Code nor the city zoning ordinance imposes a numeric maximum number of nights per year that an owner may rent a property short term. The binding constraint instead comes from the New York State Multiple Dwelling Law. MDL Section 4(8)(a) defines a Class A multiple dwelling, generally a building with three or more permanent residential units, as one occupied for permanent residence, which the statute defines as occupancy of a unit by the same natural person or family for thirty consecutive days or more. The Attorney General has interpreted this to make rentals of fewer than 30 days in Class A multiple dwellings unlawful unless the permanent occupant remains physically present for the duration of the paying guest's stay and the guest has unobstructed access to all rooms and exits. Owner-occupied one- and two-family homes are not Class A multiple dwellings and are not subject to the 30-day rule. Operators in covered buildings who advertise sub-30-day stays face state-level fines that can reach $1,000 to $7,500 per advertisement under MDL enforcement. The 2024 New York Statewide Short-Term Rental Registry, effective April 21, 2025, layers additional reporting obligations on booking services that facilitate sub-30-day stays, including quarterly booking reports to the state.