Geneva, New York

The City of Geneva regulates short-term rentals through a mandatory Short-Term Rental License issued by the City Code Enforcement Office. Every dwelling unit used as an STR must obtain a separate license per unit before operating. STRs are defined as dwelling units with no more than four bedrooms rented for periods of less than 30 consecutive nights.

The license fee is $250 per bedroom per year (up to $1,000/year for a four-bedroom unit), plus processing fees, and each license is valid for two years before renewal. Before a license is issued, the city conducts a mandatory inspection covering code compliance, sleeping-room count, and parking standards. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement and no annual night cap.

A revised ordinance adopted July 10, 2024 by a 6-2 council vote removed the prior special-use permit requirement, set the per-bedroom fee structure, aligned STR parking with residential standards, and permitted STRs citywide rather than restricting them to specific districts. Ontario County imposes a hotel/motel occupancy tax of up to 3% on transient lodging, but that tax does not apply to facilities with three or fewer rentable units; operators with smaller properties should confirm their county and New York State sales-tax obligations. Enforcement severity is rated moderate.