KINGSTON, NY – Licensing a hotel in the city of Kingston now costs at least $ 125 per year, including short term rentals and bed and breakfasts.
During an online meeting on Tuesday, the Joint Council unanimously passed a resolution setting annual hotel charges. Establishments defined as hotels by the city code and having one to three units would charge a base fee of $ 75 plus an additional $ 50 per unit. Hotels with four to nine units would charge a base fee of $ 150 plus an additional $ 50 per unit.
Hotels with 10-20 units would pay a base fee of $ 250 and a fee of $ 45 per unit, while hotels with more than 20 units would pay a base fee of $ 400 and $ 40 per unit. Meeting rooms like conference rooms would be treated like commercial property for fire inspections, which means a fee of $ 125 for up to 1,000 square feet and a fee of 2 cents for each additional square foot.
The resolution was passed on Tuesday without discussion, but at a council meeting the previous evening, District 7 city councilor Patrick O’Reilly asked if the fees would offset all costs to the city and if the amounts were the same as those on others Would be charged.
Council majority leader Reynolds Scott-Childress said the fee would cover the cost of annual hotel inspections.
“When Building Safety inspects apartments, there is a fee associated with it,” said Scott-Childress, D-Ward 3. “And so when we inspect hotels and all facilities that are also defined as hotels, we want to cover these costs.” He said this would ensure the safety of all overnight accommodations in the city.
Councilor Michele Hirsch, D-Ward 9, said the fee was in line with the city’s fees from homeowners.
Earlier this year, the Joint Council passed a resolution amending part of Section 277-2 of the City Code to indicate that a fee will be charged for processing any application for a license or renewal to operate a Kingston hotel. At that time, however, the amount of the fee was not yet determined. Instead, the matter was referred to the Council’s Finance and Audit Committee for consideration. The committee approved the fee schedule in October.
The Council previously changed the definition of “hotels” within the Code to include B & B’s and short term rentals.
