Rochester, New York Short-Term Rental Market
Rochester, NY caps legal Airbnb-style rentals at 90 nights a year and requires the host's primary residence.
Quick Answer: Rochester, New York is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Rochester market area is 66%. average monthly revenue in the Rochester market area is $2,970. average daily rate in the Rochester market area is $169. the top operator in the Rochester market area is LaTray Stays with 35 listings. market score is 66/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the wider Rochester market, which covers 2 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Rochester.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Rochester is the tourism hub of Monroe County and the greater Finger Lakes region, drawing roughly 1.97 million visitors in 2023 and generating about $1.5 billion in annual tourism and hospitality economic impact for the county. Visitors skew toward museum and festival travelers, Finger Lakes wine tourism, and university-related and convention business tied to the University of Rochester and RIT.
Rochester’s short-term rental rules are unusually restrictive for investors. Effective January 1, 2023, the city requires an STR permit for any Airbnb- or Vrbo-style rental, but only for a property that is the operator’s primary residence; pure investment or second-home STRs are not permitted at all. Even for a qualifying owner-occupant, rentals are capped at 90 rental days per year, and occupancy is limited to two guests per legal bedroom plus two additional per unit, up to 12 people maximum.
In the most recent data month (June 2026), the Rochester area STR market posted an average daily rate of $169.22 and 66.0% occupancy, with average monthly revenue of roughly $2,970 per listing. Because these figures come from StaySTRA’s broader tracked series and are not filtered to only compliant, owner-occupied, 90-night operators, they should be read as a market-wide reference point rather than a projection of what a legally compliant Rochester host can actually earn.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 48% |
| Feb | 57% |
| Mar | 58% |
| Apr | 61% |
| May | 63% |
| Jun | 66% |
| Jul | 73% |
| Aug | 72% |
| Sep | 59% |
| Oct | 61% |
| Nov | 56% |
| Dec | 54% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Rochester are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Rochester market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Rochester market as a whole, which includes Rochester, so these counts are not Rochester-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LaTray Stays | 35 | 3,080 | ★ 4.86 |
| 2 | RocHostel | 32 | 646 | ★ 4.25 |
| 3 | Evolve | 30 | 1,176 | ★ 4.78 |
| 4 | BnBUsa-net | 24 | 359 | ★ 4.17 |
| 5 | Aventus | 22 | 1,288 | ★ 4.32 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Rochester?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Rochester 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 | 66.2% |
| vrbo | 4.2% |
| both | 29.6% |
Home Value Trends (Rochester)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Rochester 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 Rochester — 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
The City of Rochester requires a short-term rental permit for any Airbnb- or Vrbo-style rental, effective January 1, 2023, renewed annually. The rules are restrictive for investors: STRs must be owner-occupied, the operator’s primary residence, so pure investment or second-home STRs are not permitted. Rentals are capped at 90 rental days per year. Occupancy is limited to two guests per legal bedroom plus two additional per unit, up to 12 people maximum, and one off-street parking space per unit is required. Quiet hours run 10pm to 7am. Applicants must submit proof of ownership, a floor plan, proof of liability insurance, and the permit fee, and must meet safety requirements (smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers). Listings must display the approved permit number when advertised.
Enforcement is active: violations can lead to permit revocation and fines reported up to $10,000. On top of the city permit, operators must register with the New York State short-term rental registry (statewide compliance phased in during 2025, registry deadline around March 25, 2025) and collect the Monroe County Hotel Room Occupancy Tax of 6% on stays of 29 nights or fewer. This owner-occupancy plus 90-night structure makes Rochester a difficult market for non-resident STR investors.
Market Comparison
Rochester’s most recent occupancy of 66.0% runs well above the commonly cited US STR median of around 55%, while its $169.22 ADR sits below the national median ADR of roughly $220. That combination, high occupancy paired with a below-median rate, is typical of a market with strong underlying demand, university, convention, and Finger Lakes tourism, but comparatively affordable lodging costs.
However, this comparison describes Rochester’s broader tracked market, not the legally compliant subset of it: Rochester’s owner-occupancy requirement and 90-night annual cap are more restrictive than most other markets in this dataset, which materially limits how much of this occupancy and revenue picture a legally compliant host can actually capture. Property-manager-level data for this market is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Rochester, so this profile omits it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rochester, New York
Can I operate a non-owner-occupied Airbnb in Rochester, NY?
How many nights a year can a legal Rochester short-term rental operate?
What is the average Airbnb rate in Rochester, NY?
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Rochester?
What is the busiest month for short-term rentals in Rochester?
What happens if a Rochester STR operates without a permit or exceeds the 90-night cap?
How much does a home cost in Rochester, NY?
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