Cayuga, New York Short-Term Rental Market
Finger Lakes NY STRs averaged $241/night at 42.7% occupancy in April 2026 across 6,067 active listings.
Quick Answer: Cayuga, New York is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 43%. average monthly revenue is $2,495. average daily rate is $241. the top operator is Finger Lakes Premier Properties with 212 listings. market score is 66/100 (grade C).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Finger Lakes short-term rental market spans one of New York State’s premier wine and outdoor recreation corridors, with 6,067 active listings as of the latest snapshot. Entire-place rentals account for 5,549 listings (91.5%), private rooms for 517 (8.5%), and shared rooms for 1. The private-room share is meaningfully higher than most comparable rural resort markets, reflecting the presence of Ithaca and other college-adjacent nodes within the corridor. Bedroom distribution is balanced: 1-bedrooms lead at 1,824, followed by 3-bedrooms (1,507), 2-bedrooms (1,333), 4-bedrooms (844), and 5-bedrooms (553). Channel distribution is Airbnb-dominant: 2,974 Airbnb-only listings versus 581 VRBO-only, with 2,512 appearing on both platforms.
In April 2026, average daily rate was $241.31 and occupancy was 42.73%, producing a RevPAR of $103.10 and average monthly revenue of $2,495. On a year-over-year basis, ADR rose 5.64% while occupancy declined 6.98%, resulting in a 2.12% revenue decrease versus April 2025. The market total score is 66.18, with the investability sub-score of 95.54 standing out as one of the highest in the region, indicating strong return potential relative to entry cost. Revenue growth scores 67.27, rental demand 65.60, and regulation 67.78. Cayuga County generated $157 million in visitor spending in 2024, supporting 1,500 local jobs.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34% | $188 | $1,859 |
| Feb | 44% | $192 | $1,961 |
| Mar | 42% | $187 | $2,025 |
| Apr | 48% | $210 | $2,398 |
| May | 51% | $261 | $2,857 |
| Jun | 57% | $291 | $4,126 |
| Jul | 69% | $292 | $5,229 |
| Aug | 71% | $294 | $5,381 |
| Sep | 52% | $261 | $3,632 |
| Oct | 51% | $249 | $3,510 |
| Nov | 39% | $210 | $2,357 |
| Dec | 37% | $199 | $2,090 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Cayuga
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finger Lakes Premier Properties | 212 | 3,601 | ★ 4.64 |
| 2 | Evolve | 142 | 6,743 | ★ 4.69 |
| 3 | Vibe Short Term Rental Management | 77 | 2,336 | ★ 4.83 |
| 4 | Vacasa | 59 | 2,285 | ★ 4.49 |
| 5 | Between the Lakes Vacation Rentals | 56 | 668 | ★ 4.61 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Cayuga?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,824 |
| 2 bed | 1,333 |
| 3 bed | 1,507 |
| 4 bed | 844 |
| 5 bed | 553 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $258 |
| Luxury | $436 |
| Professionally Managed | $361 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,755 |
| Entire Place | $2,621 |
| House | $2,775 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 49% |
| vrbo | 9.6% |
| both | 41.4% |
Investment Analysis
The Finger Lakes market has the highest investability score (95.54) of the five markets in this analysis, reflecting a favorable combination of revenue potential and entry cost. The typical home value is $293,986 (April 2026 Zillow estimate). At April 2026 average monthly revenue of $2,495, the annualized gross revenue per listing is approximately $29,941. Against the typical home value, that implies a gross yield of approximately 10.2%. This is a rough estimate using average listing revenue and typical home value; it does not account for operating expenses, financing, or property-level variation.
Tier differentiation is significant and unusual. The all-listings ADR of $241.31 compares to $257.71 for entire-home properties and $435.96 for luxury listings, a 81% premium over average. Professionally managed properties stand out at $361.08 ADR, a 50% premium over the market average. This is the widest PM-to-market ADR gap in this batch, suggesting that PM operators in the Finger Lakes are managing premium wine-country properties and capturing substantially higher rates than the independently managed average.
Annual average revenue grew from $2,424 per listing in 2017 to a peak of $3,827 in 2021, pulled back to $3,407 in 2024, and recovered to $3,540 in 2025. ADR has grown from $198 in 2017 to $269 in 2025, a 36% increase. The lower entry price point versus coastal New England makes this market accessible to a wider range of investors, and the combination of wine trail demand, gorges, outdoor recreation, and Cornell University proximity supports year-round demand beyond pure summer seasonality.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
In April 2026, the average booking lead time for Finger Lakes STRs was 47.28 days, the longest among the five markets in this batch. At nearly 7 weeks, this suggests guests plan Finger Lakes trips further in advance than NH Lakes or shore markets. Winery visits and special events (harvest season, Cornell graduation, Ithaca festivals) likely drive some advance bookings. Operators can hold firm pricing through the 7-week window before considering discounts on unsold availability.
The average length of stay is 3.35 nights, slightly above a standard 3-night minimum. A 3.35-night average indicates a mix of weekend getaways and extended stays, consistent with a wine region where guests plan multiple winery visits over 3-4 days. At this stay length, operators can expect roughly 9 guest rotations per month at peak occupancy. Setting a 3-night minimum on peak summer and fall harvest weekends is well-supported by the booking data.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are permitted in Cayuga County and the Finger Lakes region under a framework being formalized through New York State law. Under NY RPL 447-C (effective April 2025), all STR hosts must register their unit with the county. Cayuga County voted in December 2025 to proceed with implementing the state-mandated registry, defeating an opt-out measure. Registration is valid for two years (biennial renewal). Fees are set by individual counties; Cayuga County’s fee schedule was not yet published as of May 2026. Booking platforms may only list registered units and must submit quarterly activity reports to the county.
Cayuga County imposes a 5% hotel and motel room occupancy tax on stays of 29 nights or fewer. Airbnb collects and remits this tax automatically. New York State sales tax of 4% also applies to short-term rental occupancy effective March 1, 2025, bringing combined tax exposure to approximately 9%. No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement has been identified at the county or town level. No annual nights cap is established under state law, though local municipalities may adopt their own caps.
No separate town or village permit has been identified for the Village of Cayuga beyond the county registry. Enforcement is rated moderate. Investors should monitor cayugacounty.gov for the registration portal launch and published fee schedule.
Market Comparison
The Finger Lakes’ April 2026 occupancy of 42.73% is below the U.S. STR median of approximately 55% but above most comparable rural seasonal markets. The 2025 annual average occupancy of 47.69% is also below the national median, though the October and September shoulder season occupancy (around 51%) is notably strong for an inland non-ski market. The $241.31 April ADR is above the approximate U.S. STR median of $220.
The professional management market is led by regional specialists. Finger Lakes Premier Properties leads with 212 listings and a 4.636 average rating. Evolve holds 142 listings with a 4.685 rating. Vibe Short Term Rental Management operates 77 listings with the highest rating in the top 5 at 4.829. Vacasa holds 59 listings (4.487 rating), and Between the Lakes Vacation Rentals rounds out the top 5 with 56 listings and a 4.612 rating. The top 5 operators together manage 546 listings, approximately 9.0% of the 6,067-listing market. Regional operators (Finger Lakes Premier Properties, Vibe, Between the Lakes) dominate by listing count and carry high guest satisfaction ratings, suggesting local expertise commands both inventory share and quality outcomes in this market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cayuga, New York
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