Philadelphia requires a Limited Lodging Operator License to rent a primary residence, or a room in it, for 30 consecutive days or less. The license costs $150, is renewed annually and needs a zoning permit showing the property is zoned for limited lodging. The city Hotel Tax is 8.5% and the state hotel tax is 7%.
Facts
| Field | Value | Stated by |
|---|---|---|
| Place | Philadelphia | - |
| State | PA | - |
| Jurisdiction type | consolidated city-county (City of Philadelphia) | - |
| Permit required | Yes | Source 1 |
| Permit name | Limited Lodging Operator License | - |
| Permit fee (USD) | $150 | Source 1 |
| Fee notes | $150 license fee, of which a non-refundable $20 application fee is applied toward it; the renewal fee is $150. | - |
| Renewal period | annual | Source 1 |
| Non-owner-occupied rental allowed | unknown | - |
| Caps and zoning limits | The Limited Lodging Operator License is only for an owner or tenant living in the property as their primary residence; in the Tenth Council District the primary resident is also the owner. The property is zoned for limited lodging and a Zoning Permit goes with the application. The page read does not say which license, if any, covers a home that is not the operator's primary residence. | Source 1 |
| Annual night cap | unknown | - |
| Local lodging tax | 8.5% | Source 2 |
| State lodging tax | 7% | Source 2 |
| Platform collects tax | Yes | Source 2 |
| Tax notes | City Hotel Tax is 8.5% of the amount paid by the guest and covers rooms in private homes; the city page gives Pennsylvania's hotel tax as 7%, for 15.5% combined. The city says some booking agents, including websites, agree to collect the Hotel Tax on behalf of operators, so it depends on the platform. | - |
| Penalties | unknown | - |
| Fields not confirmed | Non-owner-occupied rental allowed; Annual night cap; Penalties | - |
| Last checked | 2026-10-07 | - |
| Dataset row id | philadelphia-pa | - |
"unknown" means the value was not found on the official pages read on the check date, not that no such rule exists. "Stated by" points to the numbered source below.
Sources
- City of Philadelphia: Get a Limited Lodging Operator License
- City of Philadelphia: Hotel Tax. Published on www.phila.gov. Address: https://www.phila.gov/services/payments-assistance-taxes/taxes/business-taxes/business-taxes-by-type/hotel-tax/
At most one official page per place is linked; every other source is cited as text with its full address.
Sources last checked: 2026-10-07