Short-term rentals (STR) are allowed in Brooklyn, but under New York City rules, including Local Law 18. Legal STRs hosting means staying in the unit with your guests, hosting no more than two at a time, and registering with the city first.
Once you’ve verified your property fits that model. Eligibility always comes before profitability, and that’s the foundation for any compliant Brooklyn rental. From there, a vacation rental manager can help ease the short-term property management workload, and Guestable offers this kind of support.
Disclaimer: Regulations can change. Verify current requirements with the NYC Office of Special Enforcement, your building or board, or a qualified local professional before operating a short-term rental. Guestable can help you understand general requirements, but we’re not a legal or tax authority, and working with us doesn’t guarantee compliance. Owners remain responsible for meeting the rules that apply to their property.
Are Short-Term Rentals Legal in Brooklyn?
Generally, short-term rentals are legal in Brooklyn, but they’re tightly regulated. Under New York City’s Local Law 18, STRs in the city are required to register and abide by specific rules before listing. Brooklyn properties follow the same citywide framework as the rest of NYC.
A “short-term rental” is a stay of fewer than 30 consecutive days. Unhosted stays are generally prohibited for covered residential properties. This means that the host must remain in the unit for the duration of the guest’s stay. In addition, no more than two paying guests are allowed at a time.
For a broader look at how these rules apply across the five boroughs, see our guide to New York short-term rental regulations.
What Is Local Law 18?
Local Law 18 is the law that governs how you can legally list and operate a short-term rental in New York City, including Brooklyn. If you’re planning to host, this is the framework you need to understand before you do anything else.
Here’s what it means for you as a homeowner:
- You must register before you list: Local Law 18 requires hosts to register with the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement (OSE) and get a registration number.
- Only you, as a permanent occupant, can register: Registration is limited to an actual person living in the unit, not an LLC, nor someone who doesn’t live there.
- You must stay in the unit with your guests: To host legally, you need to be present in the same unit for the length of the stay, and guests must have full access to the unit.
- Two guests, maximum: Stays are limited to two guests only. Children under 4 don’t count toward this limit.
- Illegal Sleeping Areas: Guests are not allowed to stay in certain sleeping areas such as attics, cellars, and garages unless specifically authorized by the New York City Department of Buildings.
- Certain units can’t register at all: Rent-regulated apartments, NYCHA units, and buildings on OSE’s prohibited buildings list are excluded from registration.
- Platforms check your registration: Booking platforms are required to verify your registration or exemption status before processing a reservation, which is why unregistered listings don’t stay visible on major platforms for long.
Before you assume your property qualifies, it’s worth reviewing your building’s legal occupancy, your lease or building’s rules, and applicable city and state laws. Registration alone doesn’t override those requirements. You can review the full text of Local Law 18 or learn more about eligibility before you apply.
How Much Does Short-Term Rental Registration Cost in NYC?
Under current OSE guidance, the short-term rental registration application carries a $145 non-refundable fee. Beyond the fee, registration typically requires:
- Identity documentation
- Proof of permanent occupancy at the address
- Listing information for the platforms you intend to use
- Ongoing renewal to keep your registration current
Fees and application requirements can change, so verify current requirements with the OSE before applying. Visit the City’s short-term rental registration portal for more information.
What Buildings and Properties Cannot Be Used for Short-Term Rentals in Brooklyn?
The New York City government states that a property can be ineligible for short-term rental use for several distinct reasons, and it’s worth understanding that they’re separate issues:
- The Prohibited Buildings List: Entire buildings can be placed on OSE’s list when the building owner, including an applicable co-op or condominium board, certifies that leases or other occupancy agreements throughout the building prohibit STRs.
- Lease and building rules: A lease, rental agreement, co-op bylaws, condo rules, or other building agreements may separately prohibit STRs. Even if a property is otherwise eligible for registration, hosts must confirm that their lease and applicable building rules allow this arrangement.
- Rent-regulated apartments: Rent-controlled and rent-stabilized units are not eligible for short-term rental registration. If a unit is rent-regulated, OSE will deny the registration application, regardless of whether the building appears on the Prohibited Buildings List or not.
- Legal occupancy and building classification: NYC’s legal occupancy rules are separate from the Prohibited Buildings List. Entire-home stays fewer than 30 days are generally prohibited, while certain Class B multiple dwellings approved for transient occupancy are exempt from registration. Hosts must verify occupancy status and comply with applicable laws.
- NYCHA housing: Apartments in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments are not eligible for short-term rental registration. Housing residents cannot use the city’s registration process to host STRs from their apartments.
One important clarification: the Prohibited Buildings List is not the same thing as a building’s zoning or legal occupancy classification. A building’s absence from the list doesn’t mean short-term rentals are automatically permitted there. The underlying legal occupancy and any lease or building restrictions still apply independently.
What Are the 2026 Short-Term Rental Regulations in Brooklyn?
| Requirement | General Rule |
| Stay length | Fewer than 30 days is considered a short-term rental |
| Host presence | Host must stay in the same unit |
| Guests | Up to two paying guests |
| Unhosted rentals | Generally not permitted for short-term rentals |
| Registration | Required for covered hosts |
| Host eligibility | Must be a natural person and permanent occupant |
| Building restrictions | Prohibited buildings can be excluded from registration |
| Rent-regulated units | Not eligible for registration |
| NYCHA | Not eligible for registration |
Want to Know If Your Property Qualifies?
What Does This Mean for Rental Profitability in Brooklyn?
A host-present rental with a two-guest limit operates differently than a conventional whole-unit rental. Factors that can be affected under this set-up include guest experience, costs like cleaning, supplies, and maintenance, as well as platform fees, insurance, and taxes.
Before comparing income potential across properties, confirm what rental model your specific property, unit type, and building actually allow. Demand also varies by area. See our guide to the best neighborhoods in Brooklyn for more context on how location can affect a rental’s appeal.
The goal is to understand which legal rental strategy fits your property, rather than assuming any Brooklyn apartment can operate as a traditional vacation rental.
Short-Term vs. 30+ Days Rentals in Brooklyn
Given the restrictions on conventional short-term rentals, some Brooklyn owners look at alternative rental strategies depending on their goals and the property itself.
Length of Stay | General Consideration |
Short-Term (fewer than 30 consecutive days) | Subject to NYC’s short-term rental requirements |
30+ days rental | Falls outside short-term rental rules, standard tenant-landlord rules apply |
Long-term rental | Conventional residential leasing model |
Mid-term rental | Furnished rentals rented for 30+ days; not subject to short-term rental registration |
Thirty-day-plus and furnished mid-term rentals fall outside the short-term rental registration requirements. That said, these aren’t automatic loopholes. The applicable rules still depend on your specific rental arrangement, the property’s classification, and any lease or building restrictions. Each strategy has its own considerations and should be evaluated on its own terms.
Brooklyn Short-Term Rental Compliance Checklist
- Confirm the property is in Brooklyn/NYC jurisdiction
- Determine whether the intended stay qualifies as a short-term rental
- Confirm the property can legally be used for the intended rental strategy
- Check the Prohibited Buildings List
- Review lease and building restrictions
- Confirm the unit isn’t an ineligible rent-regulated or NYCHA unit
- Confirm permanent occupancy requirements are met
- Apply for short-term rental registration if required
- Prepare identity and occupancy documentation
- Provide required listing information
- Follow the two-guest limit
- Remain in the same unit during qualifying short-term stays
- Ensure guests have appropriate access to the dwelling and exits
- Maintain compliant sleeping arrangements
- Keep registration information current
- Verify current requirements before listing
See What Day-to-Day Management Looks Like
When Can Professional Short-Term Rental Management Help?
Staying compliant with NYC’s short-term rental rules including registration, eligibility, building and lease restrictions, is the property owner’s responsibility.
Once you are compliant, Guestable’s short-term rental management services can handle the following:
- Guest communication
- Reservation administration
- Cleaning coordination
- Maintenance coordination
- Listing management
- Dynamic Pricing
- Property revenue management
- Day-to-day operational workflows
Whether you’re juggling a full-time job, other properties, or just don’t want to manage guest turnover yourself, Guestable’s vacation rental management handles the operational side of your rental within whatever model your property is eligible to run.
Own property elsewhere in the city? We also provide property management across New York, and you can see the full scope of what we offer on our Guestable management services page.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Vacation rental management services can help with the operational side of a compliant rental, but it doesn't change a property's underlying legal eligibility for short-term rental registration. See our property management in Brooklyn page for more information.