Short-Term Rentals in Warren County, New York

Three layers, not one: state, county, and town

A short-term rental in Warren County can be governed by up to three separate sets of rules simultaneously, and missing any one of them is a real compliance risk, not a technicality. First, a new New York State law effective March 1, 2025 requires owners of properties used as short-term rentals to register, part of a broader statewide push for STR transparency and tax compliance. Second, Warren County itself requires STR registration and collects a 4% occupancy tax directly from short-term rental hosts -- the county has been explicit that a host is responsible for ensuring this tax actually reaches the county even if a booking platform like Airbnb or Vrbo claims to be collecting it, and reported non-compliance penalties include fines up to $1,000 plus retroactive penalties and interest on past unregistered rental activity. Third, and most variable, individual towns -- especially those around Lake George itself -- have adopted their own, separate permit systems, zoning-based restrictions, and at times outright moratoriums on new STR registrations.

Lake George-area towns: permits, zones, and a history of moratoriums

The Town of Lake George does not ban short-term rentals outright, but does not treat them as an as-of-right use either: a residential property owner generally needs to apply for and obtain a residential rental permit from the town's Planning and Zoning Office before using a dwelling for stays of 30 days or less, and the town has at points imposed moratoriums limiting how many new STRs can be added in areas zoned for both commercial and residential use. The separate, incorporated Village of Lake George has adopted its own, at times stricter, STR regulations distinct from the town's. The Town of Bolton has gone through its own cycle of proposing, pausing, and revising STR rules. Given how frequently these town-level rules have changed in recent years -- new moratoriums, zone-specific carve-outs, and periodic revisions -- treat any specific town's current rule as something to confirm directly and immediately before closing, not something to assume is stable from a prior year's news coverage, including the sources cited on this page.

What to check before buying for STR income in Warren County

1. Confirm the specific town's (and, if applicable, village's) current STR permit requirement, zoning eligibility, and any active moratorium directly with that municipality's Planning and Zoning Office -- do not rely on the parcel's general zoning district alone, since STR-specific rules are often layered on top of it.
2. Register with New York State under the statewide STR registration law effective March 2025, and separately register with Warren County for occupancy tax purposes -- these are two distinct registrations, not one.
3. Confirm the current Warren County occupancy tax rate (4% as of this writing) and your responsibility to remit it even where a booking platform states it collects taxes on your behalf.
4. Ask the seller or listing agent for the property's STR permit/registration history, if any, and whether it's transferable to a new owner -- permit transferability varies by municipality and should never be assumed.
5. If considering land inside the Adirondack Park's Blue Line specifically, also confirm whether the Adirondack Park Agency's jurisdiction affects any new construction or expansion tied to a rental-property plan.