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Bethlehem, PA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)

Significant Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Trigger: Third conviction within any 5-year period
Penalty: 2-year disqualification from STR use
Binds: Owner's successors, heirs and assigns
Overrides: Any pending or past administrative action
Reinstatement: Requires new license fee, paid court penalties

Summary

A Bethlehem short-term rental owner convicted of a third violation of the Short Term Lodging ordinance within any five-year period is disqualified from using the property as a rental for two years, a penalty that follows the owner's successors, heirs and assigns.

vi. Notwithstanding any past or pending administrative action taken to suspend, revoke, or not renew a license for Short Term Lodging Facility license, upon conviction of a third offense under Section 8 of this Ordinance within any 5-year period, the Owner of the Facility, and his/her successors, heirs and assigns, shall be disqualified from using the property as a Short Term Lodging Facility for a period of 2 years.

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Full Breakdown

06(A). 06(B) defines those graduated tools: a formal warning for at least one violation; suspension, which pulls the rental privilege for up to one year and requires the owner to immediately evict transient visitors; and revocation, which is a loss of privilege longer than one year or triggered by a second or later suspension of the same facility's license. 08, within any five-year period, the owner 'and his/her successors, heirs and assigns' are disqualified from using the property as a Short Term Lodging Facility for two years, regardless of any pending or past administrative action.

06(C)(a) directs the Code Official to weigh the violation's effect on occupants and the neighborhood, the owner's history of prior violations or notices, whether the owner has already been sanctioned, and what remedial steps the owner has taken. 08.

Violations & Fines

A third conviction under § 1741.08 within five years triggers automatic two-year disqualification of the property from Short Term Lodging use under § 1741.06(C)(a)(vi), binding on the owner's successors, heirs and assigns, on top of any suspension, revocation or fine already imposed for that offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many violations does it take to lose short-term rental privileges in Bethlehem?

Section 1741.06(C)(a)(vi) disqualifies the owner from using the property as a Short Term Lodging Facility for two years upon conviction of a third offense under the ordinance's penalty section within any five-year period.

Does the two-year ban follow the property if it is sold or inherited?

Yes. The ordinance text disqualifies 'the Owner of the Facility, and his/her successors, heirs and assigns' for the two-year period, so the disqualification is tied to the property's ownership chain, not just the individual owner at the time.

What happens before a third strike in Bethlehem's short-term rental program?

The Code Official can issue a formal warning after one violation, suspend the license for up to a year, or revoke it for repeated or serious violations, weighing factors under § 1741.06(C)(a) such as the effect on the neighborhood and the owner's prior history.

Sources & Official References

[1]Codified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem, Article 1741

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