Bethlehem, PA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Bethlehem, PA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- License required before
- any short term lodging occurs
- License issuer
- Dept. of Community and Economic Development
- License transferability
- not transferable, expires on sale
- First-violation fine
- $200
- Third-violation penalty
- up to $1,000 or 90 days jail
Summary
Bethlehem bans short term lodging citywide unless the owner first obtains a Short Term Lodging License for that specific property, and the license cannot be sold, transferred, or carried over when the property is conveyed.
A. Before providing any Short Term Lodging, property owners must obtain and keep current a Short Term Lodging License for each property to be designated as a Short Term Lodging Facility. Such License shall only be issued if the requirements of this Ordinance are met. B. Upon application in such form as may be required by the City Department of Community and Economic Development for a Short Term Lodging License or renewal thereof, each applicant shall pay to the City an annual License and inspection fee in accordance with the Housing Inspection Fee Schedule Resolution. A license for a Short Term Lodging Facility shall not be transferred or sold and will expire upon the conveyance of the property.
Full Breakdown
01. A requires property owners to obtain and keep current a Short Term Lodging License for every property operated as a Short Term Lodging Facility before providing any short term lodging at all, and the license only issues if the ordinance's requirements are met. B, the owner applies to the City's Department of Community and Economic Development and pays an annual license and inspection fee set by the Housing Inspection Fee Schedule Resolution; the license cannot be transferred or sold and automatically expires when the property is conveyed to a new owner.
C requires the license to state how many lodgers are permitted and requires the applicant to submit an accurately drawn floor plan showing every bedroom, smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector location, and every window and interior and exterior doorway on every level. 05, including an annual inspection by the City's Bureau of Housing (which the owner must schedule and pay for), a current Business Privilege Tax License, and anti-discrimination compliance under Articles 145 and 1737.
Violations & Fines
Operating a Short Term Lodging Facility without a current license, or violating a licensing duty, exposes the owner to formal warning, license suspension, revocation, or non-renewal under 1741.06, and to the criminal penalties of 1741.99: $200 for a first violation, $500 for a second, and up to $1,000 or 90 days imprisonment for a third or later violation, imposed by a Magisterial District Judge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bethlehem require a permit to run an Airbnb?
Can a Short Term Lodging License be transferred when the house sells?
What happens if an owner operates without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bethlehem
How Bethlehem compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Bethlehem to another location·View the Pennsylvania short-term rentals overview
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