Short-term rentals · Saugerties, Ulster County
Can you get a short-term rental permit in Saugerties, NY?
In the Town of Saugerties, yes. It has one of the most workable short-term rental laws in Ulster County: no cap, no rule that you live there, and a permit that comes from passing a fire and safety inspection and paying $250. The catches are what it covers (single-family houses and approved accessory apartments only), that the permit doesn't transfer to a buyer, and that the Village of Saugerties, inside the town, runs a different system.
By Ryan Rooney · Published 6 November 2026 · Last checked 6 November 2026 against the text of Chapter 194, the Building Department's application papers and the 2026 fee schedule
Can I get a short-term rental permit in the Town of Saugerties?
Yes. Chapter 194, adopted by Local Law 2 of 2022, has no cap and no owner-occupancy rule. You get a permit from the Building Department, good for 12 months, after the house passes a fire and safety inspection. The Town Board can set a cap, but only once a year by resolution after a public hearing, with written findings and an amendment to the law. I found no record that it has.
Does a Saugerties short-term rental permit transfer when the house sells?
No. The law says a permit "is not transferrable between property owners," and the new owner has to apply for a new one. With no cap, that's paperwork rather than a gamble today, but you can't rent the house until your own permit issues.
What does it cost?
$250 to start ($75 application, $50 operating permit and $125 fire safety inspection) and $175 a year to renew, according to the Building Department's application sheet. Registration with Ulster County is free, and the county's 4% occupancy tax applies on top.
Is the Village of Saugerties the same?
No. The village has no permit, only a registration with its building inspector. There's no cap and no owner-occupancy rule, but an owner who doesn't live in Ulster County has to name a managing agent who does, and on a sale the owner files a sworn statement within 15 days.
What the town's law allows
The rules are in Chapter 194 of the Town Code, "Short-Term Rentals," adopted 15 June 2022. The online code shows no amendments since.
| Rule | Town of Saugerties |
|---|---|
| What qualifies | Single-family homes, and permitted accessory apartments on the same tax parcel. Two-family and multifamily buildings can't get a permit. An accessory apartment needs its own certificate of occupancy. |
| Size | Guest count follows the bedroom calculation in the state Property Maintenance Code. The town's application caps a short-term rental at 5 bedrooms and 10 guests; above that, the town treats it as an inn needing Planning Board approval. |
| Living there | Not required. If you live there and rent rooms, the town treats it as a bed-and-breakfast instead, which needs a building permit to change the use. |
| Cap | None enacted |
| Permit term | 12 months from issue, renewed every year with a new fire and safety inspection |
| Host | A designated adult living within 15 miles, available around the clock, who deals with problems within two hours of being notified |
| Parking | Off-street, at least one space per bedroom, each at least 9 by 18 feet |
| Well water | A water quality test from a licensed lab to get the permit, and again on renewal |
| Events | No events with amplified sound, and no more guests than the permit allows |
| On a sale | The permit ends with the seller. The buyer applies for a new one. |
| Penalties | Up to $500 for a first violation, up to $750 for a second within a year and $750 to $1,000 for a third, each day counting separately. Three violations in 12 months revokes the permit, with no new one for a year. |
One small inconsistency to know about. The law asks for a well water test at every renewal. The Building Department's process sheet asks for a bacteria test with the first application and a new one after the third renewal. Ask the department which it wants for your house, and if in doubt, test every year.
What it costs
- First permit: $250 ($75 application, $50 operating permit, $125 fire safety inspection). Cash, check or money order only.
- Every year after: $175 ($125 inspection, $50 operating permit).
- Extra inspection visits: under the town's 2026 fee schedule, a third visit, or a no-show without 24 hours' notice, adds $100, and a fourth adds $125.
- Ulster County: registration within three days of starting, free, plus the county's 4% occupancy tax on stays.
What the town asks for
The Building Department's application packet, updated April 2025, lists:
- A floor plan of every floor guests use (hand-drawn or photographed is fine)
- A passing bacteria test for a well
- A parking drawing or aerial photo showing where cars go
- A report from a chimney or stove company on any extra heating system, such as a wood stove
- A copy of your homeowners insurance
- Your Ulster County short-term rental registration certificate
- A notarized emergency contact form signed by your contact. The application says the contact can't be you unless you live within 30 minutes.
You submit and pay, the department reviews it and schedules the fire safety inspection, and the permit issues only once the house passes. After the third renewal, the town also asks for updated insurance, a new water test, cleaning reports for every furnace and chimney, and updated contacts.
The Village of Saugerties is different
The Village of Saugerties sits inside the Town of Saugerties but is its own government, with its own rental rules. A Saugerties mailing address doesn't tell you which one a house is in. The tax bill does, and so does the Ulster County Parcel Viewer.
- The village added short-term rentals to its Rental Property Law (Local Law 1 of 2023, adopted 2 October 2023). A stay of less than a month counts.
- It's a registration with the village building inspector, signed under oath, not a permit. Local reporting at adoption said registration is free.
- No cap and no owner-occupancy rule. The chapter has no short-term rental operating standards of its own.
- An owner who doesn't live in Ulster County has to name a managing agent who does.
- On a sale or a change of agent, the registration has to be updated, with a sworn statement filed within 15 days.
- Renting without registering is unlawful, with fines of $250 to $500 for each day.
What I haven't checked is whether the village's zoning limits where a rental can operate. Ask the village code enforcement office before you count on it.
Could a cap come?
It could, but not quickly. The law lets the Town Board set a cap only once a year, by resolution, after a public hearing, based on data about permits and housing in the town, with a statement of findings. The chapter would then have to be amended to say how new and renewed permits are handled. That's several public steps, so you'd see it coming. I found no record of the board starting it. For scale, in January 2022, before the law passed, the deputy town supervisor said there were over 400 short-term rentals listed in Ulster County's database for the town.
If you are buying in Saugerties to rent it out
- Confirm Town or Village from the tax bill before anything else. The rules differ.
- Confirm the building type. In the town, a two-family house can't get a permit, and an accessory apartment needs its own certificate of occupancy.
- Count bedrooms and guests. More than 5 bedrooms or 10 guests isn't a short-term rental in the town's eyes.
- Plan for the permit not transferring. Ask the seller for their permit, the last inspection report and any bookings after closing, and ask your attorney how to handle those bookings, since you can't rent until your own permit issues.
- On a well, test the water before you apply. The town wants the result.
- Line up a host within 15 miles if you live farther away.
Who to call
- Town of Saugerties Building Department (permits, inspections, short-term rental questions): (845) 246-2800 ext. 331 or 333, 4 High Street
- Village of Saugerties Code Enforcement (village rental registration): (845) 246-2321 ext. 4, 43 Partition Street
How this page stays current. The thing most likely to change is a cap, which would take a public hearing first. I'll watch the Town Board's agendas and update this page if one is proposed, and record any change below rather than editing silently.
Change log
6 November 2026: page published. Writing it added three things to the Saugerties entry in my permit guide: the permit doesn't transfer on a sale, the 5-bedroom and 10-guest limit, and the $250 starting cost.
Buying in Saugerties to live? See what to check before buying a house in Saugerties. Comparing towns? See Kingston, Woodstock or the full permit guide.
Send me the address
I'll check whether it's in the town or the village, whether the house type qualifies, how many guests its bedrooms allow, and what to ask the Building Department before you make an offer.
Ryan Rooney is a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson with Stevens Real Estate at eXp Realty, serving Ulster County and Dutchess County, New York. Born and raised in New Paltz. (845) 447-9274 · rrooney@stevensre.com
Sources, all checked 6 November 2026: Town of Saugerties Code, Chapter 194, Short-Term Rentals (Local Law 2 of 2022, adopted 15 June 2022), as published online; Town of Saugerties Building Department page, short-term rental application, application process sheet and owner agreement (updated April 2025), and renewal form; Town of Saugerties Building Department Fee Schedule (effective 8 January 2026); Village of Saugerties Rental Property Law, as amended by Local Law 1 of 2023 (adopted 2 October 2023); Hudson Valley One, "Village of Saugerties tweaks existing rental property law in adopting STR provision," 22 February 2023; Hudson Valley One, "Saugerties town building department makes case for special-use permits to regulate short-term rentals," 24 January 2022; Ulster County registration and occupancy tax as summarized in my permit guide. This page reports what the public record shows. It is not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the Town or Village of Saugerties before relying on them.