Rochester, NY Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

The City of Rochester requires every short-term rental to operate under a Short-Term Rental Permit issued through the Zoning Office; the program took full effect January 1, 2023. Maximum occupancy is calculated as two persons per legal bedroom plus two additional persons per unit, not to exceed 12 persons in total at any time. Only owner-occupied units in single-family or eligible multi-family dwellings qualify; investor-owned secondary homes are not permitted as STRs. Each permitted unit must provide one off-street parking space. Quiet hours run 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. with no noise audible beyond the property line. Annual inspections are required, the permit number must be displayed on every listing, and operators must also register under the New York State Short-Term Rental Registry that took effect March 25, 2025. Bedrooms used for occupancy counting must meet legal bedroom standards under Property Code Chapter 90 (egress, ceiling height, smoke and CO alarms). Monroe County applies a 5% hotel/motel occupancy tax on stays of fewer than 30 days, separate from New York State sales tax.