Utica, New York Short-Term Rental Market
Utica, NY requires the host to be present during every short-term rental stay.
Quick Answer: Utica, New York is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the New York State Area market area is 59%. average monthly revenue in the New York State Area market area is $3,591. average daily rate in the New York State Area market area is $246. the top operator in the New York State Area market area is Evolve with 210 listings. market score is 70/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the New York State Area regional market, which includes Utica. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Utica.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Utica requires the host to be present during every short-term rental stay. Under city code, an STR is permitted by-right only in the CBD (Central Business District), UMU (Urban Mixed-Use), and NMU (Neighborhood Mixed-Use) zoning districts, requires a Special Use Permit and Site Plan Review in Residential Mixed (RM) zones, and is prohibited outright in R1 single-family residential zones. Wherever it is allowed, the host must be a permanent occupant of the property and physically present during every guest’s stay, an owner or primary-resident, host-occupied model rather than a whole-home investment-rental setup. Utica is a city of about 64,217 people in Oneida County, Central New York’s leading tourism market, which generated roughly $2.1 billion in direct tourism sales in 2024, up 6.4% year over year, though that figure covers the county, not Utica specifically. Visitors are drawn by cultural institutions including the Munson art museum and Stanley Theatre, the Utica Zoo, the F.X. Matt Brewing Company, and a distinctive local food scene. Utica’s STR performance data in StaySTRA’s dataset is tracked at a shared Central New York regional level, combined with Oneonta, a smaller city about 46 miles away with a distinct tourism identity centered on nearby Cooperstown, rather than reported uniquely for Utica, so all performance figures below describe that broader regional series rather than Utica’s own host-occupied market specifically. In the most recent tracked month (June 2026), the Central New York area STR market shows an average daily rate of $246 and occupancy of 58.7%, with average revenue of $3,591 per listing for the month. Year over year, occupancy is up 3.4 percentage points and revenue is up 8.4%, even as ADR is down 2.4%. Housing data is available specifically for Utica: the typical home value was $213,412 as of June 2026, with 104 homes for sale.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 40% |
| Feb | 48% |
| Mar | 40% |
| Apr | 44% |
| May | 47% |
| Jun | 56% |
| Jul | 64% |
| Aug | 60% |
| Sep | 44% |
| Oct | 44% |
| Nov | 40% |
| Dec | 43% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Utica are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in New York State Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the New York State Area market as a whole, which includes Utica, so these counts are not Utica-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 210 | 5,967 | ★ 4.67 |
| 2 | Cooperstown Stay | 186 | 2,246 | ★ 4.87 |
| 3 | ERA Team VP Vacation Properties | 40 | 176 | ★ 4.43 |
| 4 | Angel Rock Waterfront Cottages & Vacation Homes | 32 | 387 | ★ 4.77 |
| 5 | EVL Property Rentals | 32 | 1,703 | ★ 4.89 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Utica?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Utica 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 | 55.2% |
| vrbo | 7.8% |
| both | 37.1% |
Home Value Trends (Utica)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Utica 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 Utica — 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
Utica regulates short-term rentals primarily through zoning and an owner-occupancy rule. STRs are permitted by-right, with a Department Review, only in the CBD, Urban Mixed-Use, and Neighborhood Mixed-Use districts; they require a Special Use Permit and Site Plan Review in Residential Mixed zones, and are prohibited outright in R1 single-family residential zones. Wherever permitted, the host must be a permanent occupant of the property and present during every guest’s stay, an owner or primary-resident, host-occupied model; the host can be either the property owner or a tenant whose lease permits subletting. Applications go to the city’s Department of Urban and Economic Development and require proof of ownership or lease, a labeled floorplan showing guest rooms, and clear emergency egress with no key locks on internal egress doors. A permit fee applies, though the exact amount is not published in the online code. Separately, effective January 1, 2026, Oneida County now requires all STR hosts to register their units in a county registry, valid for two years and renewable, and has extended its existing 5% hotel and motel occupancy tax to short-term rentals, with booking platforms collecting the tax and filing quarterly returns. The county projects the tax extension will raise roughly $800,000 a year. County enforcement uses a progressive penalty scheme: warnings for the first two violations, up to $200 for a third, then $500 a day for continued violations. Enforcement overall is rated moderate.
Market Comparison
At 58.7% occupancy, the Central New York area series that includes Utica is running above the commonly cited U.S. STR median occupancy of roughly 55%. Its $246 ADR is also above the national median of roughly $220, reflecting solid regional demand despite Utica and Oneonta both being mid-size, non-resort markets rather than premium destinations. Utica’s own regulatory picture sets it apart from many markets in this dataset: the host-present requirement and the R1 zoning ban mean the whole-home investment-rental model that drives STR data in many other markets is not broadly available here, closer in spirit to Sunnyvale’s hosted-only regime covered elsewhere in this dataset than to an open, whole-home market. Top property manager rosters are tracked at the same shared regional level rather than uniquely for Utica, so this profile omits operator rankings rather than present regional totals as the city’s own.
Frequently Asked Questions About Utica, New York
Does Utica require the host to be present during short-term rental stays?
Is short-term rental legal everywhere in Utica, NY?
What is the average daily rate for short-term rentals in the Utica, NY area?
What is the occupancy rate for STRs near Utica, NY?
When is peak season for short-term rentals in the Utica area?
What new short-term rental rule took effect in Oneida County?
How is the Central New York area STR market trending year over year?
Analyze Utica Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Utica.
Free Utica STR Calculator →
