Albany, NY Short-Term Rentals: Registration Rules (2026)

Three layers of registration potentially apply to an STR operating within the City of Albany. First, under New York State law effective March 25, 2025, every STR operator must register with a State system administered by the Department of State (or with a locally-approved municipal system that has been authorized by DOS). The State registry requires the operator's name, the unit address, ownership status, and unit details, and obligates platforms to confirm registration before listing.

Second, Albany County's Local Law K of 2025 — the same measure that extended the County's 6.5% hotel occupancy tax to STRs — established a county-wide STR registry effective 2026. Operators must register their units with Albany County, obtain a registration number, and file periodic occupancy tax returns. The County indicated additional implementing guidance for property owners and platforms would be issued ahead of the 2026 effective date.

Third, the City of Albany itself. As of 2024 the city did not have STR-specific regulations in place; the Common Council subcommittee held a presentation on February 7, 2024, opened a public comment portal on February 5, 2024, and continued drafting through 2024–2025. Pending final adoption of a dedicated city STR ordinance, hosts must comply with existing Albany City Code Chapter 231 (Housing) — which requires a Residential Occupancy Permit and listing on the Rental Dwelling Registry for residential units rented to others — and with Chapter 375 (Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance), under which STR activity is treated as an accessory use to a residential primary use per §375-602 (Definitions). Chapter 231 §231-144(B) sets the standard rental-registry fee at $50 (with an exemption for owner-occupied single-unit dwellings owned by persons aged 65+).

Finally, hosts of units inside Class A multiple dwellings (buildings with three or more residential units) must observe New York's Multiple Dwelling Law, which generally prohibits rentals of fewer than 30 days unless the permanent tenant is physically present during the stay — a statewide preemption that limits whole-unit STR activity in many Albany apartment buildings regardless of city or county rules.