Rental Housing

A Rental Housing Permit is required for all rental activity. Some rental activity requires multiple permits and licenses.

  • Rental Housing Permit: This is the general Rental Housing Permit required for all rental activity. This permit is reviewed for zoning compliance by the Borough, but is ultimately issued and maintained by Centre Region Code Administration.
  • Short-Term Rental License: This license is required for rental stays of less than 30 days.
  • Student Home License: This license is required for occupancy of more than one unrelated student within a one-family, one-family with an accessory apartment, or two-family dwelling. Not all properties are eligible for this license.

Occupancy

Maximum occupancy is regulated in two ways, depending on the type of structure and the zoning district. Maximum occupancy applies to all residential structures, regardless of whether a Rental Housing Permit is required.  

One- and two-family dwellings in all R districts are regulated by the Standard Occupancy rule in the Zoning Ordinance. Maximum occupancy is set as either a family + 2 unrelated people OR 3 unrelated people total. 

Occupancy GraphicStandard Occupancy applies to properties with a Student Home License.

Standard Occupancy applies to one-family dwellings with an accessory apartment. The accessory apartment does not afford additional occupancy to the structure. The standard occupancy total is spread out across the entire structure, inclusive of the accessory apartment. No more than 2 people total (of the maximum) may reside in the accessory apartment.

Standard Occupancy applies to both units in a two-family dwelling. Two-family dwellings are permitted to have up to a family + 2 unrelated or 3 unrelated people in each unit.

All other structures, e.g. multi-family (3+ units), townhomes, condos, fraternities, etc., and one- and two-family dwellings in non-R districts are regulated by the requirements of the Centre Region Rental Housing and Building Safety Code. In these structures, maximum occupancy is determined by features such as the size of the bedrooms/common, egress, and other life safety requirements. Please contact Centre Region Code Administration (CRCA) with questions about occupancy under the Rental Housing and Building Safety Code.