Poconos Short Term Rental Homes / Pocono Vacation / Investment Homes For Sale or Rent
Buy a Pocono Short Term Rental - We have a guide to purchasing a Short Term Rental in the Poconos Mountains of PA
Can't find the Pocono Vacation Rental home you want? Contact USA Realty - Pocono Office. We've helped over 450 buyers find the right Pocono Investment property. Whether you are looking for the best ROI or looking for a home for your family that you can rent out to help pay for the carrying costs, we can guide you to the right home.
Call 570-517-2428 or send us a note and we'll find it.
1031 Exchanges are Approved for Short Term Rentals in the Poconos. Send us a message to find out more.
People Reserve Poconos Short Term Rental homes (Poconos Vacation Homes) for the Perfect Stay in The Pocono Mountains
More About Buying and Owning A Poconos STR Home
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Tip # 1
To be ULTRA Successful you should have your own website for each rental home and another umbrella site for your portfolio.
Two important reasons:
A. - To go around the platforms and save the fees.
B. - You can't trust the platforms will always be there, be up (available on the net) or have your best interests in mind. You want to know that you're protected with your own reservation system. You can see a list of available names for your airbnb home by going to godaddy and typing in "Poconos (or Pocono) rental... There are great names available in the auction section.
Tip #2
Buy a home in the right location to maximize rentals. The sweet spot that will generate the most interest from guests AND provide you with the most up side long term appreciation potential is : At or Between Camelback, Big Boulder and Jack Frost Ski Areas. Skiing will bring in a higher seasonal rate and higher income customer.
Stay within 2 hours of the major cities. This is what makes the Poconos a desirable STR area. Millions of people can hop in a car and visit your STR at any time.
Tip # 3
Make sure you have an experienced guide helping you find the right home. Your buyer's agent should know the communities, the home styles, distance to Pocono activities and revenue potential of any home you are considering.
Tip #4
STR's are about customer experience, STR differentiation and gross revenue(STR math). You will be entering into the hospitality business with an investment play on the future asset value. Every home has an opportunity to be unique in the marketplace. Some of the most profitable STR's have something that gives them an advantage over competition. It may be a romantic getaway bungalow that is 1 bedroom and 100% dedicated to weekend couples getaway or a 6 bedroom lake house that sits near a ski mountain for optimal rentals.
Tip #5
One example of what really matters to a successful STR. The kitchen matters but very little to a STR so don't spend here. New STR owners focus on things that would be important to them if the guests lived at the home. Most likely your weekend guests will not even use the kitchen other than to store leftovers and beer. Focus spending on the leisure areas like the fire pit, hot tub, game rooms, etc. Spend money on the nice touches and design to attract and keep customers... not the kitchen.
If you are looking to buy a home as a short term home rental, below is the list of homes that qualify in the Poconos for vacation rentals.
This list below is the complete list of homes in areas where STRs are allowed. USA Realty - Pocono office is The Poconos Specialist is Short Term rental homes. We have helped over 455 families find the right Poconos investment property.
No need to search all around the internet. If the home is not on this list ... it's not short term rental friendly. If it's not on the list below you may not rent it out on a nightly basis.
To View any of the homes below (or to ask questions about how to be successful in the Poconos Short Term Rental Market) Contact us at 570-517-2428. A Poconos Real Estate agent will answer your question or make arrangements to show you the homes of interest.
Please be aware: In PA the "Listing Agent" works for the seller and can not represent you. Any information you give a listing agent will be used against you in negotiations. Contact USA Realty - Pocono Office for Buyer Representation.
Note: You can sort the homes on the list by price (upper right of the display)
Poconos Real Estate is the best place for everyone to find their perfect accommodation / investment rental home, whether you're looking for a short term rental on a lakefront or a cabin in the woods or a stylish apartment in on of out quaint Pocono Mountain villages.
Check out the incredible range of short term rentals for sale on the list of available homes above.
As with all real estate purchases, you are encouraged to confirm with both Township and Community association that any rules fit within your investment criteria. Our agents at USA Realty - Pocono office are experts at helping folks like you find the right investment property to fit you and your family's criteria.
Does the Vacation Home Capital of the Northeast US sound like the ideal
place to invest in a short-term vacation rental to you?
If you said yes,
then The Poconos Mountains of Northeast PA are right for you. This can be a highly profitable area to invest in short-term rentals.
Tourism is booming in the Poconos and
short-term rentals are in demand.
People from The New York market (a 23 million market) and from the Philadelphia market (an 8 million market) from Baltimore, Washington DC and Connecticut come to the Poconos for the water parks and
attractions and the Mountain, stream Lakes and River activities. Short-term rentals are one of the top lodging options. Over 50% of Pocono overnight tourists stay in STR's.
The Poconos has over 30 million visitors a year who visit for skiing, lake activities, hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, antiquing, casinos, white water rafting, canoeing and kayaking, boating, and just to relax as a family or couple.
Investing in a short-term
vacation rental in the Poconos Mountain market, can and profitable experience or allow your family to buy a home (or bigger home than you thought) for its investment potential and for your use.
In Pennsylvania, a
short-term rental is generally defined as any individual lease agreement with a
duration shorter than 30 days. Things you should be aware of for short-term
rental investment are:
Local Zoning restrictions
State and Local Licensing and Permitting
Local occupancy Taxation
Community and Township Occupancy Limits
Noise and Nuisance Regulations
Safety and Health Codes
Home Owners Association Rules
The average Pocono home value is $343,000 (2025) from $339,000 a year ago (2024).
Occupancy rate: hoovers around 51%. And has consistently for 25 years.
But, understand when analyzing an investment in the Poconos, you should always work from the yearly gross. Rates vary so much that using rates or "average rate" can lead you to mistakes. Rates in the Poconos vary during seasons, during the week and holiday periods. Consider using the Yearly Gross and Yearly expenses to make an intelligent decision on what ROI works for you.
In
the Poconos most rentals are entire homes/ condos with few individual room rentals.
Most rentals have at least two bedrooms. Only a few one bedroom and four and five bedroom homes are in short supply. Though you can be successful with a smaller home, as long as it is marketed and furnished correctly, buying a home with 4-5 bedrooms will give you pricing power when there is more demand.
Short-Term Rental Zoning in The Poconos.
When
doing short-term investment research online, you may stumble upon some
websites that say home share vacation rentals are illegal in certain townships in the Poconos. However, most townships allow STRs but some restrict to certain areas. i.e. resort or commercially zoned districts.
In
many townships and communities in the Poconos, to list your property on a short term rental
vacation platform, each owner must have a short-term property rental permit.
To apply for this permit, each township and / or community has it's own set of requirements.
A set of steps to apply for a short-term property rental permit
can usually be found on each township or community organization website.
Vacation Rental Property Management
If
you decide to invest in a short-term vacation rental
home in the Poconos, you might consider hiring a vacation property management company.
We at Poconos Real Estate / USA Realty - Pocono office 570-517-2428 can help you find the right management company for your investment home.
We have also provided you with a list of local Poconos trades and service organizations to make your self management easier. Our STR clients print this list and keep it handy for emergency use.