Suffolk County imposes no countywide primary-residence requirement, but East End towns increasingly tie rental registries to homestead status. State Bill A8284 would add disclosure obligations but stops short of mandating owner residency, leaving the question to local zoning.
There is no Suffolk County ordinance restricting short-term rentals to a host primary residence. East Hampton Town Code Chapter 199 caps whole-house rental periods and requires registration but does not mandate primary residency. Southampton Town considered, then dropped, a primary-residence test in 2023 amendments. New York Assembly Bill A8284 and companion S885B would create a statewide registry and partial preemption but explicitly preserve municipal authority to require homestead status. Owners using LLCs to hold East End properties remain eligible for rental registration in most towns, subject to disclosure of the natural-person operator.
Misrepresenting residency on a town registry application is grounds for permit revocation, fines up to $8,000 per violation in East Hampton, and potential perjury charges under New York Penal Law Article 210.
See how Islip's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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