Kingston, New York Short-Term Rental Market
Kingston caps full STR permits; Hudson Valley and Catskills market hit $317 ADR, 47.3% occupancy, $4,139 revenue in September 2026.
Quick Answer: Kingston, New York is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Lower Hudson Valley market area is 47%. average monthly revenue in the Lower Hudson Valley market area is $4,139. average daily rate in the Lower Hudson Valley market area is $317. the top operator in the Lower Hudson Valley market area is Evolve with 286 listings. market score is 75/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Lower Hudson Valley regional market, which includes Kingston. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Kingston.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
This page covers Kingston, New York (population 23,911), the seat of Ulster County in the Mid-Hudson Valley. STR performance data is tracked at a shared regional level, so every performance figure here describes the Hudson Valley and Catskills STR market rather than Kingston alone. In September 2026 the Hudson Valley and Catskills STR market averaged an ADR of $317, occupancy of 47.3%, and average monthly revenue of $4,139 per listing. Entire-home listings averaged $345 per night, and the seasonal sum of monthly revenue comes to $41,057 per year.
Year over year, the picture is improving. Occupancy is up 9.5%, ADR is up 7.0%, and revenue is up 13.0% compared with September 2025. The 2026 year to date (nine months) shows 47.3% occupancy, a $315 ADR, and $4,078 in monthly revenue, against 47.1%, $296, and $3,847 for full-year 2025. Occupancy has held in a narrow band between 47.1% and 47.3% since 2023, so recent growth is coming mostly from rate rather than from more booked nights. The 2020 peak reached 61.8% occupancy, a level the market has not returned to.
Visitors are largely leisure travelers from the New York City metro and the wider Northeast. Kingston is roughly a 90-minute to 2-hour drive or Amtrak or bus trip from New York City, and it draws weekend and day-trip guests to the Stockade historic district, the Rondout waterfront, the Empire State Trail, and nearby Catskills hiking. The wider Hudson Valley tourism region recorded about $5.0 billion in visitor spending in 2023. A Kingston-specific annual visitor count is not published.
Bedroom, channel, and listing-type counts and the top operators are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Kingston, so this profile omits them. The most important local factor is regulation: the City of Kingston caps full-time STR permits, covered in the regulatory section below.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 38% |
| Feb | 46% |
| Mar | 39% |
| Apr | 48% |
| May | 51% |
| Jun | 53% |
| Jul | 60% |
| Aug | 61% |
| Sep | 48% |
| Oct | 52% |
| Nov | 44% |
| Dec | 46% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Kingston are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Lower Hudson Valley market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Lower Hudson Valley market as a whole, which includes Kingston, so these counts are not Kingston-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 286 | 10,579 | ★ 4.65 |
| 2 | Red Cottage | 151 | 3,906 | ★ 4.88 |
| 3 | Home Sweet Hudson | 65 | 3,093 | ★ 4.75 |
| 4 | The Upstate Place Team | 48 | 2,103 | ★ 4.89 |
| 5 | AvantStay | 38 | 903 | ★ 4.57 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Kingston?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Kingston are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 55% |
| vrbo | 4.7% |
| both | 40.2% |
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Kingston — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are permitted in the City of Kingston, but regulation is strict and the main limit is the permit cap. All STRs must be registered with the city under one of three categories: Full (STR-F) for non-owner-occupied whole-unit rentals, Resident-Occupied (STR-RO) where the owner rents rooms in their primary residence, and Limited (STR-L) for units rented fewer than 30 days a year.
STR-F permits are allowed only in the T4 and T5 zoning transects under the city’s Form-Based Code, and they are capped citywide at 1% of housing units, about 106 permits. That cap was reached around March 2024. New full permits are now issued only as existing ones free up, by random selection from a waitlist. In fall 2024, 16 applicants competed for 5 openings. STR-RO and STR-L permits have no cap and are more broadly allowed.
Owner occupancy and primary residence are not required for full permits, so out-of-town owners may hold them. Permits renew annually. The full-permit fee is about $650 per year, and limited and resident-occupied permits cost about $125 per year.
Ulster County also charges a 4% occupancy tax on stays under 30 consecutive days, effective February 1, 2024, with registration through the County Department of Finance and quarterly remittance. Enforcement is rated strict. Operating or advertising an unregistered STR carries fines of roughly $1,000 for a first offense, $5,000 for a second, and $7,500 for later offenses.
The adjacent Town of Kingston is a separate municipality with its own STR law (Chapter 314). Verify current rules with the city before buying.
Market Comparison
The Hudson Valley and Catskills STR market shows a split result. Occupancy of 47.3% in September 2026 is modest, while the ADR of $317 is strong, and entire-home listings at $345 widen that gap.
The pattern is a market that wins on price rather than on volume. Guests pay a premium for proximity to New York City, historic districts, waterfront areas, and the Catskills, but calendars are not as full outside summer. July (59.8%) and August (61.4%) are the strongest months on the seasonal averages.
Growth is a point in the region’s favor. Revenue is up 13.0% year over year, with ADR up 7.0% and occupancy up 9.5%. Top operators are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Kingston, so this profile omits them. For investors, the comparison suggests that rate strategy and seasonal planning matter more here than raw occupancy, and that permit access in Kingston is the main constraint.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kingston, New York
Are short-term rentals legal in Kingston, NY?
How much does a Kingston STR permit cost?
What is the average daily rate and occupancy for Airbnb rentals near Kingston?
What is the best time of year for STR revenue in this region?
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Kingston?
How far in advance do guests book, and how long do they stay?
What does it cost to buy a home in Kingston?
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