Boston ADUs can be rented as long-term residential units without owner-occupancy under the 2024 Massachusetts Affordable Homes Act. However, Boston's Short-Term Rental Ordinance (City Code 9-14) restricts most ADU short-term rentals: only owner-occupied units can be registered as Home Share or Owner-Adjacent listings. Investor-owned ADUs cannot be used for Airbnb-style rentals.
ADU long-term rentals (30+ days) are broadly permitted in Boston under state ADU by-right rules without owner-occupancy. Short-term rentals (under 28 days) are governed by Boston's Short-Term Rental Ordinance (City of Boston Code, Chapter 9, Article 14), enacted in 2018, which restricts STR registration to three classes: Home Share (host-occupied), Owner-Adjacent (host lives in same building, two-family or three-family only), and Owner-Adjacent two/three-family. Investor or non-owner-occupied STR units are prohibited. ADUs may only be registered as STRs if the owner resides in the primary unit. Rental registration with the City of Boston's Rental Registration program is required for all long-term rentals. Standard tenant protections under Massachusetts G.L. c. 186 apply, including security deposit caps and just-cause eviction within Boston's rent control protections where applicable.
Operating an ADU as an unregistered STR violates Chapter 9-14 with fines up to $300 per day per unit. Failure to register a long-term rental triggers Inspectional Services Department enforcement and tenants may withhold rent. Massachusetts attorneys general have pursued booking platforms that list non-compliant Boston STRs.
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See how Boston's adu rental restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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