York Citizens for Responsible Short-Term Rental (STR) Regulation
The Unfair Impact of STR Sales on Single-Family Home Assessments
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Here are two clear examples of how sales of short-term rentals (STRs) distort the assessment process for owner-occupied single-family homes. York assessments are neighborhood-specific, meaning that only sales which occur in your neighborhood are used to calculate your assessment.
In Neighborhoods 130 and 135, only STRs were sold during the look-back period used to calculate the 2024 single-family home assessments. As a result, the average property assessments—and the corresponding tax burden—skyrocketed, increasing 34% and 37%, respectively.
Several of these STR sales were recorded at twice their 2023 assessed value (A/S ≈ 0.5), artificially inflating the benchmarks used for assessment calculations. One STR even changed hands twice within just 18 months, with the second sale reflecting a 100% increase compared to its prior assessment.
These trends highlight how STR sales, often driven by investor speculation, unfairly shape the tax landscape for long-term residents.
Without adjustments to the assessment methodology, homeowners will continue to bear the financial consequences of a market skewed by STR transactions. (see DATA below)
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STR sales greatly exceeded their assessed values in neighborhood 130:
Average A/S=0.46
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This resulted in an average tax increase >30% for the entire neighborhood:
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STR sales greatly exceeded their assessed values in neighborhood 135:
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This resulted in an average tax increase >35% for the entire neighborhood:
Summary of FY24 Assessment Data
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The first chart below illustrates the total assessed value of single-family properties in each York neighborhood for 2023 (blue bars) and 2024 (red bars). The number of single-family homes in each neighborhood is displayed at the top of the bars, providing a clear view of overall property distribution.
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The second chart presents average FY24 assessment increases for single-family properties by neighborhood, alongside the number of sales recorded between May 1, 2022, and May 1, 2024, and the total count of single-family homes in each neighborhood. Year-over-year (YOY) assessment increases ranged from 0% to 37% in 2024, highlighting the variability in property valuation adjustments. Neighborhoods where STR sales occurred, and/or there were low number of sales, have seen disproportionately high assessments and therefore tax increases.
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The third chart shows average property tax per neighborhood.
