Hey BP,
Preface: I wanted to get on and detail some info you should know when looking into the Poconos market. As you know, STR is an ever-growing business, and with that comes regulations and restrictions. As long as you can fully understand the rules and abide by them, you should have no problem getting by.
First, I will mention the larger couple townships that you are going to be dealing with when looking at the Poconos market. These include Tobyhanna, Coolbaugh, Tunhkannock, Kidder, Penn Forest and Cliffton. These townships are all Legal to rent your home Short term. Keep in mind these are not all of the townships, just the main ones you are likely to encounter.
At this point, all of the areas now have their guidelines and restrictions in place. Since these guidelines were established, sometimes we see small tweaks, but nothing major, typically.
Tobyhanna
The most recent to implement their rules and the first on my list is Tobyhanna Township. Tobyhanna makes up a large portion of the "main Poconos area", by this I mean the middle of where all the major attractions surround. Tobyhanna's rules are arguably the most strict, and their occupancy rules are the key factor here. Occupancy rules here state that 2 guests are allowed per bedroom for overnight guests, with a max overnight guest count of 10. For example, a 3-bedroom home equals 6 guests, and a 5-bedroom home equals 10. Be mindful that any more than 5 bedrooms still only allows a max of 10.
Getting your Tobyhanna STR Permit
To obtain your Tobyhanna permit, you'll need to obtain PA Sales and use tax, Monroe County excise tax, and then you can apply for the Tobyhanna Township permit. You can do this all online, thankfully!
Tobyhanna HOA Encounters
In Tobyhanna, the HOAs you are going to encounter are Lake Naomi, Stillwater Lakes Civic Association*, Stillwater Estates*, Emerald Lakes, Greenwood Acres, Camelot Forest, Locust Lake, and Arrowhead Lakes* . Note that the communities with * are split into two township zones.
Coolbaugh Township
The other major township you might encounter is Coolbaugh, located to the right of Tobyhanna making up the other larger portion of the Poconos main area. Coolbaugh on the opposite is more favorable with their occupancy rules. Coolbaugh's occupancy rules state that they allow 2 guests per bedroom with an additional 4 allowed for the home (no max). Example here being a 3 bedroom home is allowed 10 guests and a 5-bedroom home is allowed 14 guests.
Getting your Coolbaugh STR Permit
To obtain your Coolbaugh permit, similarly to Tobyhanna you'll need to obtain PA Sales and use tax, Monroe County excise tax, and then you can apply for the Coolbaugh Township permit. You can again do this all online, thankfully! One thing to note that is different here is that Coolbaugh requires an inspection be done before getting the green light. Just ensure to have all your ducks in a row and follow the rules and you'll be fine. (Sometimes they can be picky when making sure you have enough smoke detectors, fire extinguishers hand rails etc. )
Coolbaugh HOA Encounters
In Coolbaugh, the HOAs you are going to encounter are Stillwater Lakes Civic Association*, Stillwater Estates*, Arrowhead Lakes*, Pocono Country Place, Pocono Farms, Pocono Farms East.
Tunkhannock Township
The other major township you might encounter is Tunkhannock, located south of tobyhanna making up the other larger portion of the Poconos main area. Tunkhannock is more favorable with their occupancy rules. Occupancy rules state that they allow 2 guests per bedroom with an additional 4 allowed for the home (no max). Example here being a 3 bedroom home is allowed 10 guests and a 5-bedroom home is allowed 14 guests.
Getting your Tunkhannock STR Permit
To obtain your Tunkhannock permit, similarly to Tobyhanna you'll need to obtain PA Sales and use tax, Monroe County excise tax, and then you can apply for the Township permit. You can again do this all online, thankfully! One thing to note that is different here is that
Tunkhannock HOA Encounters
In Tunkhannock, the HOAs you are going to encounter are Brier Crest Woods, (most of) Indian Mountain lakes, (small parts of) Emerald Lakes.
Kidder Township
The other major township you might encounter is Kidder , located south west of tobyhanna. Kidder is more favorable with their occupancy rules. Occupancy rules state that they allow 2 guests per bedroom with an additional 4 allowed for the home (no max). Example here being a 3 bedroom home is allowed 10 guests and a 5-bedroom home is allowed 14 guests.
Getting your Kidder STR Permit
To obtain your Kidder permit, You'll need to complete the township permit, pay the fee and submit a couple items, like floor plan, plot plan etc. You can again do this all online, thankfully!
Kidder HOA Encounters
In Kidder, the only HOA you are going to encounter is Lake Harmony.
Cliffton Township
The other township you might encounter is Cliffton , located North of Tobyhanna. Cliffton is fair with their occupancy rules. Occupancy rules state that they allow 2 guests per bedroom with an additional 2 allowed for the home (no max). Example here being a 3 bedroom home is allowed 8 guests and a 5-bedroom home is allowed 12 guests.
Getting your Cliffton STR Permit
To obtain your Cliffton permit, You'll need to complete the township permit, pay the fee and submit a couple items, like floor plan, plot plan etc. You can again do this all online, thankfully!
Cliffton HOA Encounters
In Kidder, the only HOA you are going to encounter is (one of my favorites) Big Bass Lake.
One thing to note with Cliffton is that you aren't allowed to STR in the township normally, however, Big Bass Lakes is one of the only grandfathered HOA's allowed to operate STR's.
Thanks for Reading BP.
-Mike Eichler
~Realtor and STR Property Manager 110+ units~
Also, DM me! I'm always happy to help investors looking to enter the Poconos market, and I'm available for general STR questions.
