Yes. STR Select checked 23 Pocono municipalities across 3 counties and found a registration or zoning permit required in 20 of them, an inspection in 19, and no registration ordinance in 2. Rules are set township by township, so the answer depends on the municipality your property sits in. Checked 2026-09-28.
The permit is local. This guide lists what each of the 23 municipalities requires, what it costs where the number is printed, when it renews, and which tax lines apply on top.
Yes, in most Pocono townships. 19 of 23 municipalities require a registration, 1 requires a zoning permit and 19 state an inspection requirement. 2 showed no registration ordinance and 1 could not be confirmed. By county, the registration counts are Monroe County (12 of 15), Carbon County (2 of 2), Pike County (5 of 6).
The permit comes from the borough or township, not the county or the state. The state and counties collect tax. The sections below give the municipality table, the fee range, the tax lines and the questions worth asking before you list.
One row per municipality, each from the township’s own ordinance, fee schedule or page, with the record’s own checked date. Fees marked as set by resolution are not printed in the documents we found.
| Municipality | County | Permit | Fee | Renewal | Inspection | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroudsburg | Monroe | Registration required | $250 initial per unit (includes first inspection), $150 annual renewal, $100 per additional inspection | annual, due May 1 | yes | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| East Stroudsburg | Monroe | Registration required | Set by Borough Council resolution, amount not in the ordinance | annual | yes, annual | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Stroud Township | Monroe | Registration required | Set by Board of Supervisors resolution, amount not in the ordinance | annual | yes, including sewage system inspection | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Pocono Township (Tannersville) | Monroe | Registration required | Set in township fee schedule, amount not in the ordinance | annual, November 1 to October 31 | yes | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Mount Pocono | Monroe | Registration required | $500 registration fee (application form) | annual | yes, before first rental and before renewal | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Coolbaugh Township | Monroe | Registration required | $200 initial application, $150 annual renewal, $40 re-inspection | annual; late fee doubles after Feb 15, license void after May 1 | yes | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Tobyhanna Township | Monroe | Registration required | Set by Board resolution, amount not in the sources we checked; $200 fee for application reviews beyond the third | annual, rolling | yes | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Tunkhannock Township | Monroe | Registration required | $750 new permit, $250 renewal (effective March 1, 2026) | annual | yes | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Jackson Township | Monroe | Registration required | $1,000 initial (non refundable), $750 annual renewal; $100 per extra inspection | annual | yes, every 2 years at renewal (confirmed: due in 2026 if not inspected in 2025) | Source | 2026-09-28 |
| Middle Smithfield Township | Monroe | Registration required | $500 annual (2026 fee schedule, Resolution 01-2026-4) | annual, November 1 to October 31 | yes | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Smithfield Township | Monroe | No registration ordinance found | none found | none found | none found | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Hamilton Township | Monroe | No registration ordinance found | none found | none found | none found | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Barrett Township | Monroe | Registration required | Conflicting township documents: fee schedule (rev 03/26/2025) says $500 registration and $300 annual renewal; the (see source) | annual | yes, first inspection included; $100 re-inspection | Source | 2026-09-28 |
| Paradise Township | Monroe | Registration required | Set by resolution, amount not in the sources we checked | annual | yes | Source | 2026-09-28 |
| Price Township | Monroe | Not confirmed | not found | not found | not found | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Kidder Township (Lake Harmony) | Carbon | Registration required | Set by resolution, amount not in the sources we checked | annual | yes | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Penn Forest Township (Albrightsville) | Carbon | Registration required | Base license fee set by resolution, not published; $150 one time zoning permit application; annual inspection $100 (see source) | annual | yes, annual | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Lehman Township | Pike | Registration required | Set by resolution, amount not in the sources we checked | every two years | yes, annual certified inspection report with application | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Dingman Township | Pike | Zoning permit required | Set by fee schedule, amount not in the sources we checked | not found | not found | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Delaware Township | Pike | Registration required | Set by resolution, amount not in the sources we checked | annual | yes | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Blooming Grove Township | Pike | Registration required | Set by resolution, amount not in the sources we checked | annual | yes | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Palmyra Township | Pike | Registration required | Set by resolution, amount not in the sources we checked; late renewal after Feb 15 doubles the fee | annual | yes, conditional | Source | 2026-09-14 |
| Lackawaxen Township | Pike | Registration required | $100 initial for existing compliant rentals, $300 for new; $50 annual renewal; $75 re-inspection | annual | yes | Source | 2026-09-14 |
Full fields for each row, including ordinance numbers, zoning districts and occupancy rules, are on the Poconos registration data page. The township by township write up is in 23 Pocono townships compared. The Poconos quarterly report counts 20 of 23 municipalities as requiring some form of registration or permit and sets that beside the market’s manager, fee and review counts.
10 of 23 municipalities print a dollar amount in the documents we found. Among those, Lackawaxen Township is lowest at $100 and Jackson Township is highest at $1,000 for the first fee listed in its record.
| Municipality | Printed fee | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Stroudsburg | $250 initial per unit (includes first inspection), $150 annual renewal, $100 per additional inspection | annual, due May 1 |
| Mount Pocono | $500 registration fee (application form) | annual |
| Coolbaugh Township | $200 initial application, $150 annual renewal, $40 re-inspection | annual; late fee doubles after Feb 15, license void after May 1 |
| Tobyhanna Township | Set by Board resolution, amount not in the sources we checked; $200 fee for application reviews beyond the third | annual, rolling |
| Tunkhannock Township | $750 new permit, $250 renewal (effective March 1, 2026) | annual |
| Jackson Township | $1,000 initial (non refundable), $750 annual renewal; $100 per extra inspection | annual |
| Middle Smithfield Township | $500 annual (2026 fee schedule, Resolution 01-2026-4) | annual, November 1 to October 31 |
| Barrett Township | Conflicting township documents: fee schedule (rev 03/26/2025) says $500 registration and $300 annual renewal; the (see source) | annual |
| Penn Forest Township (Albrightsville) | Base license fee set by resolution, not published; $150 one time zoning permit application; annual inspection $100 (see source) | annual |
| Lackawaxen Township | $100 initial for existing compliant rentals, $300 for new; $50 annual renewal; $75 re-inspection | annual |
9 registration townships set the fee by resolution or fee schedule: East Stroudsburg, Stroud Township, Pocono Township (Tannersville), Paradise Township, Kidder Township (Lake Harmony), Lehman Township, Delaware Township, Blooming Grove Township, Palmyra Township. Call the township office for the current amount before you budget the first year, and ask whether the renewal fee matches the initial one.
Tax is separate from the permit. Register for it in addition to the township permit.
| Level | Rate | What it applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 6% | Pennsylvania hotel occupancy tax on stays under 30 consecutive days, including Airbnb and Vrbo bookings | pa.gov |
| Monroe County | 3% | Hotel room rental excise tax | County treasurer |
| Pike County | 3% | Hotel room rental excise tax | County treasurer |
| Carbon County | 3% | Room rental excise tax, stays under 30 days | County treasurer |
Rates are quoted from the pages listed in Sources. Confirm the current rate with the county treasurer before you file, because a collection rule can change between our checked date and your filing date.
2 of the 4 communities we checked publish a rental rule. A community rule is separate from the township permit, so a home inside one needs both.
Every question below comes from a field the township documents left open for a specific municipality.
Answered from each township’s own documents, not from forums.
Almost always. In the 23 municipalities STR Select tracks, 19 require a registration, 1 requires a zoning permit (Dingman Township), 2 have no registration ordinance we could find (Smithfield Township, Hamilton Township) and 1 is not confirmed (Price Township). The rule is local, so the permit comes from the township or borough where the home sits, not from the county or the state.
The dataset behind this guide records no statewide permit. The state requirement we track is tax: Pennsylvania charges 6% pennsylvania hotel occupancy tax on stays under 30 consecutive days, including airbnb and vrbo bookings, per pa.gov. Whether a property needs a permit is decided by the municipality, as the table above shows.
Where a township prints a number, initial fees run from $100 (Lackawaxen Township) to $1,000 (Jackson Township). 9 of the 19 registration townships set the fee by resolution or fee schedule without printing an amount in the documents we found, so the amount has to be confirmed with the township office.
19 of 23 municipalities in our dataset state an inspection requirement. Some inspect before the first rental and again at each renewal, Jackson Township inspects every 2 years at renewal, and Stroud Township includes a sewage system inspection. Treat the inspection as a lead time item and book it before you list.
Most registration townships renew annually, with different calendars: Stroudsburg is due May 1, Pocono Township and Middle Smithfield run November 1 to October 31, and Lehman Township renews every two years. Coolbaugh Township doubles the fee after February 15 for late renewals, and Palmyra Township applies the same late rule.
Pennsylvania charges 6% on stays under 30 consecutive days, including Airbnb and Vrbo bookings. Monroe County adds 3%, Pike County adds 3%, Carbon County adds 3%. Each rate is quoted from the county treasurer or the state revenue page listed under Sources.
Often. Lake Naomi Club / Timber Trails: Rental property registration form and $150 annual registration fee (2026 policy); guest acknowledgment due within 72 hours of arrival; Arrowhead Lake: STR rental registration form and pre-registered guest check-in by QR code. A community rule sits on top of the township registration, so check both.
Smithfield Township, Hamilton Township showed no registration ordinance in the records we checked, and Price Township could not be confirmed. That does not mean the activity is unregulated: zoning rules, county taxes and the state hotel occupancy tax can still apply, and the Hamilton Township zoning board case in the sources shows a short term rental dispute can turn on zoning alone.
It matters for tax and for which office you call. Registration counts by county in our data: Monroe County (12 of 15), Carbon County (2 of 2), Pike County (5 of 6). County hotel room excise tax is 3% in Monroe, 3% in Pike, 3% in Carbon.
The full registration dataset, with ordinance numbers, zoning, occupancy and local contact fields for each municipality, is on the Poconos registration data page, and the township by township write up is in the registration comparison post linked below.
Every row above traces to one of these pages, checked on the date shown in the table. Several come from township hosted ordinance PDFs or archived copies because eCode360 blocks automated access.