Short-Term Rental License

Background

State College Borough Council adopted ordinance 2187 in August 2022 establishing a new license requirement for short-term rental use in properties located within the Borough of State College. The goal of the license is to allow the Borough to better preserve its residential character and address local concerns about nuisance behavior from short-term rentals. The ordinance has been subsequently amended since its initial adoption (ordinances 2210, 2211, and 2242), including to require a Rental Housing Permit from Centre Region Code Administration (CRCA) as part of the application process. The current version of the ordinance is available here.

NEW SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT

The Planning Department is excited to announce the transition to a new license management system called Rentalscape, through Deckard Technologies, which includes both an interactive application portal to improve communication between applicants and staff, as well as a public facing component for residents to understand short-term rental activity in their communities. The anticipated launch date of the new system is March 2026.

All property owners will need to submit a new license application with the system. This includes both properties with a previous license that has expired and properties which have never received a license. Property owners will receive a letter with instructions on completing the application process and the Borough’s website will be updated to include additional guidance on the license requirements and application process. 

Note: Properties that do not maintain a current Rental Housing Permit through Centre Region Code Administration (CRCA) will need to obtain one before applying for a Short-Term Rental License. Visit Rental Housing Permit for more information or to start that process now.

Short-Term Rental License Ordinance

Ordinance 2242 outlines the rules and regulations for short-term rental licensing in the Borough, including required application materials, registration and parking requirements, limitations on the number of days per year that the property may be rented on a short-term basis, and policies for violations. The ordinance can be accessed here.

Contact Us

Please direct all communication regarding short-term rentals to shorttermrentals@statecollegepa.us.