MONTICELLO – Following an agreement with vacation rental app Airbnb, Sullivan County has successfully concluded a deal with Expedia Group and its Vrbo brand to collect room tax on every lodging unit they rent through their online platforms.
“We were one of the first counties in the state to sign an agreement with Airbnb to ensure we received the five percent tax on every room rented for vacation purposes in Sullivan County, which generates over half a million dollars in revenue every year,” Treasurer Nancy Buck said. “We continue to level the playing field for all our lodging establishments, be they hotels or homes, through this new agreement with Vrbo that encompasses their 300+ affiliated properties in our county, including the HomeAway and VacationRentals.com platforms.”
Negotiated by the County Attorney’s Office, the agreement stipulates that after August 1, 2021, Vrbo will collect room tax on every vacation rental unit and remit those taxes quarterly to the County Treasurer’s Office.
Property owners who rent through Vrbo will have the tax deducted automatically by Vrbo, rather than having to remit it themselves to the county. However, any property owner who rents rooms for vacation purposes must be registered with the county, regardless of the method or platform used. More information and forms are available at the treasurer’s office in the Government Center, 100 North Street, Monticello or at https://sullivanny.us/Departments/Treasurer/RoomTax.
