City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Allentown, PA
How Allentown regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- New form-based zoning code (Ch. 660, effective 2026) has no short-term rental use category
- Residential 'Household Living' use is limited to month-to-month or longer tenancy, excluding transient <30-day rental
- Only transient-lodging category is 'Lodging' (hotels/motels and owner-occupied Bed & Breakfast Inns) — no whole-home STR use
- Bed & Breakfast Inn requires owner to occupy as principal full-time residence (host-present)
- ADUs expressly barred from short-term rental (660-42(C)(11))
- Annual residential rental license required on top of zoning treatment
- PA Slice of Life (2019) supports non-permitted status of transient use in residential zones
Based on: Chapter 660 Zoning (Ord. No. 16166, adopted Oct 15, 2025, effective Jan 1, 2026); use-category structure Art. 5
Summary of the rule
HOUSEHOLD LIVING (1) Use Category Description. The household living use category is characterized by a single household occupying a dwelling unit that is self-contained... Tenancy is on a month-to-month or longer basis.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Allentown · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
Owners in Allentown
Following Allentown adds it to the Followed cities list on your ASTRO dashboard, linked to its city page.
Add a home to the ASTRO registry and confirm ownership of it.
City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.