Rental Rules by City / Free checklist / State College

Is my State College rental legal? Checklist

Centre County, Pennsylvania · Based on our State College page, last verified Oct 26, 2026 · Print

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📋 The Basics

Can I rent my place short-term here?: Yes, with a permit
Do I need a permit?: Yes, principal residence, 120 days/yr.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 6%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Get annual license.
Track days.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Exceeding 120 days.

Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.

This is the general rule for State College. Does your address qualify?

The free info covers the city as a whole. Your property can still be different: zoning can change from one street to the next, and an HOA or condo ban can stop rentals even where the city allows them.

Your $49 Compliance Check looks at your exact property:

Whether your exact address and zone allow short-term rentals
A check of HOA / condo rental restrictions to look for
Which permits and tax accounts you personally need
What you're missing right now
A personal report with clear next steps and official sources, by email
A refund if we report a rule in error (refund policy)

🔎 How we check: official city, county and state sources, a last-verified date on every page, and nothing guessed. Learn more

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Permit / license / registration

Cap: STR activity limited to 120 days per license year; annual license required.

Zoning, where allowed & definitions

Primary residence: Property must be the principal residence of an owner or tenant for at least eight months a year.

Night limits, minimum stays & occupancy

Not listed on our page: Verify with the city/county before renting.

Fees, penalties & pending changes

Not listed on our page: Verify with the city/county before renting.

Taxes & who collects them

Register / account for Pennsylvania hotel occupancy tax (6%)
What Airbnb collects: Verify in payouts which taxes your platform remits.
Vrbo and direct bookings: check which taxes Vrbo collects in your area; for direct bookings you collect and remit all of them yourself.

Total rate: 6%. Pennsylvania hotel occupancy tax 6% on stays under 30 days (PA Dept. of Revenue). Local lodging taxes not confirmed on an official page: verify. Calculate.

HOA / condo check

Read your declaration, bylaws and rules for rental bans, minimum terms, caps and approval requirements.
Get any association sign-off or approval letter your city or association requires.
See our HOA & condo guide.

Insurance

Confirm your homeowner/condo policy covers short-term rental use, or add a short-term rental policy. Platform host protection is not a substitute for insurance.
Ask your association whether it requires specific liability coverage.

Deadlines

Renew city/county permits or registrations on their schedule (often annually): confirm the date with the office that issued it.
File state and local lodging tax returns on the schedule your tax office assigns.

Official sources

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Not legal or tax advice. Last verified Oct 26, 2026. Rules and rates change: confirm with the official sources linked before you rent or file.