Riverhead, New York Short-Term Rental Market
Riverhead, NY has banned short-term rentals under 30 days since 2013; nightly STR income is not legally available here.
Quick Answer: Riverhead, New York is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Long Island market area is 62%. average monthly revenue in the Long Island market area is $10,028. average daily rate in the Long Island market area is $753. the top operator in the Long Island market area is StayMarquis with 354 listings. market score is 42/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Long Island regional market, which includes Riverhead. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Riverhead.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Riverhead sits at the head of the Peconic River on Long Island’s East End, serving as the commercial hub and gateway to North Fork wine country. Since 2013, the Town of Riverhead has banned residential rentals of fewer than 30 days townwide, meaning Airbnb- and Vrbo-style nightly and weekly rentals are illegal here, not merely restricted. Only rentals of 30 days or longer are legal, and even those require a town-issued Rental Dwelling Unit permit under Town Code Chapter 263, a safety inspection, and a signed affidavit; permits run one year and must be renewed. Agricultural worker housing is exempt from permitting.
Because nightly STR is not a legal operating model in Riverhead, this profile cannot responsibly present investment-style performance figures for a nightly-rental business here. Separately, StaySTRA’s underlying data provider also tracks a shared performance series across a genuinely coherent eastern Long Island cluster, Riverhead, East Hampton, Montauk, Sag Harbor, and Southampton, so even where nightly figures exist in the data (reflecting the region’s broader Hamptons market or non-compliant activity), they should be read as an eastern Long Island regional benchmark, not a Riverhead-specific, legally operable number.
Riverhead’s visitor base is drawn to the Long Island Aquarium, Splish Splash Water Park, Tanger Outlets, and North Fork wineries and tasting rooms, with the broader East End functioning as a seasonal, spring-through-fall resort destination for the New York City metro.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 35% |
| Feb | 47% |
| Mar | 49% |
| Apr | 52% |
| May | 55% |
| Jun | 61% |
| Jul | 65% |
| Aug | 68% |
| Sep | 40% |
| Oct | 36% |
| Nov | 42% |
| Dec | 46% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Riverhead are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Long Island market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Long Island market as a whole, which includes Riverhead, so these counts are not Riverhead-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | StayMarquis | 354 | 2,052 | ★ 4.79 |
| 2 | Evolve | 77 | 2,570 | ★ 4.47 |
| 3 | PMI GOLD COAST PROPERTIES | 51 | 268 | ★ 4.62 |
| 4 | Luxury Beach Getaway | 47 | 1,251 | ★ 4.78 |
| 5 | Vacasa | 45 | 980 | ★ 4.30 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Riverhead?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Riverhead 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 | 50.7% |
| vrbo | 9.8% |
| both | 39.5% |
Home Value Trends (Riverhead)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Riverhead are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Riverhead — 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
Riverhead effectively prohibits short-term rentals. Since 2013 the Town has banned residential rentals of fewer than 30 days, so Airbnb- and Vrbo-style nightly and weekly rentals are illegal townwide. Any legal rental (30 days or longer) requires a town-issued Rental Dwelling Unit permit under Town Code Chapter 263, a safety inspection covering housing, sanitary, building, electrical, and fire code compliance, and a signed affidavit acknowledging town rental laws; permits are valid for one year and must be renewed. Agricultural worker housing is exempt from permitting.
Lodging that does legally operate is subject to the Suffolk County hotel/motel occupancy tax of 5.5% (raised from 3% effective June 1, 2023), plus applicable state and local sales tax.
Enforcement is strict and tightening. In November 2025 the Town advanced code changes to treat online advertising of a sub-30-day rental as a separate violation for each day it runs, require valid permit numbers in any rental advertisement, and let code enforcement presume transient use from online listings, reviews, and visible activity. Proposed penalties run from a $3,000 initial fine up to $30,000 for repeat offenses, civil penalties up to $5,000 per day, immediate permit revocation, and authority to demand platforms remove non-compliant listings. Investors should not underwrite Riverhead for nightly or weekly STR income under current law.
Market Comparison
A national or regional STR performance comparison is not offered for Riverhead specifically, since nightly short-term rental operation is illegal townwide and the ADR, occupancy, and revenue figures StaySTRA has for this area come from a shared eastern Long Island series, not a legally operable Riverhead business. For investors comparing this part of Long Island’s East End, note that neighboring towns in the same shared data series, East Hampton, Montauk, Sag Harbor, and Southampton, post some of the highest STR rates in this dataset (an ADR near $753 and revenue above $10,000 per month in the shared series), reflecting the Hamptons’ status as a premium national market, though each of those towns has its own separate zoning and STR rules that should be confirmed independently before assuming this applies to a specific property.
Frequently Asked Questions About Riverhead, New York
Are short-term rentals legal in Riverhead, NY?
What happens if someone advertises a nightly rental in Riverhead?
Can I legally rent out a property in Riverhead at all?
Why does Riverhead's STR data look like the Hamptons?
Where nearby can I legally operate a nightly Airbnb near Riverhead?
What tax applies to legal long-term rentals in Riverhead?
How much does a home cost in Riverhead, NY?
Analyze Riverhead Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Riverhead.
Free Riverhead STR Calculator →
