Short-term rental permit rules in Lehigh County, PA β also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration β list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Lehigh County does not operate a county-level short-term rental permit program; STR regulation is municipal under the PA Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247, 53 P.S. Β§10617 grants zoning enforcement authority). The City of Allentown requires every rental unit - including short-term rentals - to be registered annually under its Residential Rental Unit Registration & Inspection Program at $75 per unit per year, with a safety inspection at least once every 5 years. Hosts must also collect Pennsylvania's 6% state hotel occupancy tax on stays under 30 days.
Pennsylvania has no comprehensive statewide short-term rental statute. The Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247 of 1968, 53 P.S. Β§10617) authorizes zoning enforcement at the municipal level, and 53 P.S. Β§10603(b) allows municipalities to regulate uses including transient lodging. The City of Allentown - the county seat and largest jurisdiction in Lehigh County - administers a Residential Rental Unit Registration & Inspection Program through its Department of Building Standards & Safety. Every dwelling unit offered for rent (long-term or short-term) must be registered annually at $75 per unit, with renewals due by December 31. The city conducts a safety inspection of each registered unit at least once every five years, checking smoke detectors, fire exits, electrical safety, and general habitability. Hosts must provide guest names, addresses, and rental dates and carry liability insurance. Allentown's zoning ordinance restricts STRs to specific districts. Pennsylvania's state hotel occupancy tax of 6% (72 P.S. Β§7210) applies to stays of fewer than 30 days; Allegheny and Philadelphia counties impose additional local hotel taxes, but Lehigh County has not adopted a county hotel tax for STRs as of 2026 - hosts only collect the 6% state tax via Airbnb/VRBO or directly through the PA Department of Revenue. Other Lehigh County municipalities (Bethlehem in Northampton, Emmaus, Macungie, etc.) may have separate STR rules. Lehigh County itself does not administer STR licensing.
Operating an unregistered rental unit in Allentown is a violation of the city's rental ordinance subject to fines under Allentown Codified Ordinances Article II. The city may revoke a rental license for non-payment of utilities, zoning violations, or repeated disorderly conduct complaints. Failure to remit the 6% Pennsylvania hotel occupancy tax is a tax violation subject to PA Department of Revenue assessments, penalties, and interest under 72 P.S. Β§7210 et seq.
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