Lehigh County imposes no primary-residence requirement on rentals. Allentown does not generally require STRs be owner-occupied, but on lots with an accessory dwelling unit neither unit may be a short-term rental, and the owner must occupy one unit as a permanent residence.
Whether an owner must live on-site is a municipal zoning question, not a county one. Allentown's zoning ordinance sets no blanket primary-residence rule for short-term rentals in ordinary dwellings. However, where a lot has an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), the ordinance is strict: neither the principal unit nor the ADU may be used as a short-term rental, and at least one dwelling unit must be occupied by a record owner as their permanent residence for most of the year. A Bed and Breakfast Inn likewise requires the owner/operator to live on-site. Investors buying a property solely to operate an ADU as an STR cannot do so in Allentown. Confirm rules for other Lehigh County municipalities individually.
Using an ADU as a short-term rental, or renting without required owner occupancy, is a zoning violation subject to enforcement notices, fines, and permit revocation.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Bethlehem's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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