Lake Placid, New York Short-Term Rental Market
Lake Placid STRs are capped at 120 nights per year with a $650 unhosted permit in this two-time Winter Olympic village in the Adirondacks.
Quick Answer: Lake Placid, New York is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 52%. average monthly revenue is $4,101. average daily rate is $359. the top operator is Evolve with 166 listings. market score is 57/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Adirondacks regional market, which includes Lake Placid. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Lake Placid.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Lake Placid, NY is a world-renowned resort village in Essex County, New York, and the two-time Winter Olympic host (1932 and 1980). The New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) venues recently recorded approximately 1.2 million visits annually, generating a $341.8 million economic impact in fiscal year 2022-23 and supporting 3,414 jobs. Roughly 84% of venue visits occur in winter months, driven by Whiteface Mountain skiing, the Olympic Center, and bobsled and luge operations at Mt. Van Hoevenberg.
Note: The short-term rental performance metrics shown here reflect a broader Adirondack market dataset that covers a wider regional area rather than Lake Placid-specific inventory. In April 2026, the regional market averaged $235/night in ADR with 24.9% occupancy in that shoulder month and revenue per available rental of $58. July is the peak month, with historical average occupancy of 70.4% and average monthly revenue of $5,773 per listing, while August averages 68.8% occupancy and $5,994/month.
Approximately 6,137 active listings are tracked in the dataset for this market area, with 5,894 entire-place units and 241 private rooms. Three-bedroom properties are the largest segment (1,671), followed by two-bedroom (1,503) and one-bedroom (1,392) units. The market investability score is 94.3 out of 100, with a regulation score of 70.3, rental demand 51.2, and seasonality 48.9. The 2025 annual average for the regional market was 43.9% occupancy and $314 ADR.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39% | $294 | $3,231 |
| Feb | 51% | $309 | $3,817 |
| Mar | 33% | $264 | $2,801 |
| Apr | 36% | $228 | $2,238 |
| May | 44% | $261 | $2,261 |
| Jun | 53% | $311 | $3,511 |
| Jul | 70% | $330 | $5,769 |
| Aug | 69% | $333 | $5,990 |
| Sep | 42% | $285 | $3,275 |
| Oct | 42% | $266 | $3,006 |
| Nov | 32% | $244 | $2,277 |
| Dec | 47% | $289 | $2,991 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Lake Placid
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 166 | 6,967 | ★ 4.77 |
| 2 | Adirondack By Owner | 97 | 3,146 | ★ 4.83 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 73 | 2,151 | ★ 4.58 |
| 4 | Northern Living | 66 | 2,312 | ★ 4.85 |
| 5 | Rocky Point Properties | 57 | 530 | ★ 4.82 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Lake Placid?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,392 |
| 2 bed | 1,503 |
| 3 bed | 1,671 |
| 4 bed | 910 |
| 5 bed | 654 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $365 |
| Luxury | $751 |
| Professionally Managed | $512 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,042 |
| Entire Place | $4,196 |
| House | $4,425 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 42.9% |
| vrbo | 12.2% |
| both | 44.8% |
Investment Analysis
Lake Placid’s investment case is shaped by two forces pulling in opposite directions: exceptional demand fundamentals (Olympic legacy, year-round events, high-ADR market) and strict regulatory constraints that cap operating days and limit permit availability.
On entry cost, the typical home value in the area is $373,407, but the median list price of active for-sale inventory is $870,833, with only 43 units currently listed. The wide gap between the two figures signals that the properties available for purchase skew heavily toward luxury and high-end vacation properties. At the 2025 regional annual average of $3,723/month in revenue, annualized revenue of approximately $44,700 against a $870,833 purchase price implies a gross yield of approximately 5.1% before management fees and expenses. Against the typical home value of $373,407, the implied yield rises to approximately 12.0%. Actual Lake Placid-specific revenue per listing is not separately broken out in the current dataset; these figures use regional data.
The 120-night annual cap is the single most important operating constraint. An investor acquiring a property at $870,833 and limited to 120 rental nights per year must achieve very high per-night rates to generate meaningful returns. The luxury-tier ADR of $489/night and professionally managed ADR of $304/night in the regional dataset suggest that premium positioning can support those rates.
Luxury-tier listings averaged $489/night in ADR in April 2026 (a month that represents the deep shoulder for this market). Professionally managed listings averaged $304/night. House listings averaged $2,038/month in the regional dataset, and entire-place listings averaged $1,981/month.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
Run a Free Address Analysis
Skip the market averages. Get revenue projections, comp analysis, and ROI for your specific property address. Free, instant, no signup required.
Analyze My Property →Home Value Trends (Lake Placid)
Booking Insights
Regional data for this Adirondack market shows an average booking lead time of 39.9 days, or roughly six weeks. The average length of stay is 3.4 nights, consistent with weekend and short-week getaways.
For Lake Placid specifically, the 120-night annual cap means hosts must be strategic about which nights to make available. Peak summer weekends (late June through August) and key winter dates (Presidents’ Day, Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, Christmas/New Year’s) command the highest rates and should be prioritized and priced aggressively well in advance.
At 3.4 nights average stay, a property available for 120 nights per year would turn over approximately 35 times annually at full occupancy. Hosts relying on professional management to optimize within the night cap may find the $304 professionally managed ADR (a 29% premium over the market average) worth the additional management cost.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Lake Placid (jointly regulated by the Town of North Elba and Village of Lake Placid) has one of the more structured and actively enforced STR frameworks in the Adirondacks.
Operators must obtain a revocable STR permit before renting any dwelling for fewer than 30 consecutive nights. Only one permit is issued per property. Permit types include Hosted (host or representative present during stays, approximately $200/year) and Unhosted (no owner presence required, $650/year), plus Lodging and Main Street categories.
Unhosted permits are capped town-wide and new unhosted permits are prohibited in residential neighborhoods (Town Residential District, Village Residential District, and several Planned Development Districts). A waitlist exists for the limited unhosted permits. The annual rental-day cap is 120 nights per year, raised from 90 in recent updates.
Operators must register with Essex County’s Room Occupancy Tax Program and pay a 5% county occupancy tax before a permit is issued. New York State sales tax also applies to stays under 30 nights. Permits renew annually.
Operating requirements include providing a deed, chimney inspection, and parking/site plan, and designating a 24/7-reachable representative living within a 60-minute drive of the property. Enforcement is strict: the town funds a dedicated STR Compliance Monitor who actively scrubs listing platforms for noncompliant rentals and investigates complaints.
Recent changes: Local Law No. 1 of 2023 (effective early 2023) prohibited new unhosted permits in residential neighborhoods, capped permit counts, raised fees to fund the Compliance Monitor position, and raised the rental-day cap from 90 to 120 nights.
Market Comparison
Lake Placid’s STR market is best understood through its regulatory constraints rather than raw volume metrics. The 120-night annual cap, unhosted permit scarcity, and strict Compliance Monitor enforcement distinguish it from nearly all other Adirondack markets.
The regional dataset shows a 2025 annual average ADR of $314, well above the US STR median of approximately $220, reflecting the premium Lake Placid commands as an international Olympic destination. The investability score of 94.3 out of 100 in the regional dataset is among the highest nationally.
The operator data in the current dataset reflects the broader Adirondack regional market. Within that context, Evolve leads with 166 listings (4.77 rating), followed by Adirondack By Owner with 97 listings (4.83 rating), Vacasa with 73 listings (4.58 rating), Northern Living with 66 listings (4.85 rating), and Rocky Point Properties with 57 listings (4.82 rating).
Note: The STR performance metrics and operator data in this page reflect a shared broader Adirondack market dataset. Lake Placid-specific operator data is not separately segmented in the current dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lake Placid, New York
How many nights per year can I rent an STR in Lake Placid, NY?
What permits are required for STRs in Lake Placid, NY?
What taxes apply to Lake Placid short-term rentals?
When is the peak STR season in Lake Placid?
Are unhosted STR permits still available in Lake Placid?
What are entry-cost expectations for STR investment properties in Lake Placid?
How strictly is Lake Placid's STR ordinance enforced?
Analyze Lake Placid Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Lake Placid.
Free Lake Placid STR Calculator →
