Short-Term Rentals in Cambridge, MA (2026)

6 verified short-term rentals rules for Cambridge, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Short-Term Rental Permits

Every Cambridge short-term rental operator must register with Inspectional Services and obtain a certificate of registration before hosting, backed by a mandatory pre-issuance inspection and renewal every five years.

Cambridge STR Permit Requirements

Significant Restrictions

Cambridge Zoning Ordinance § 4.67, item 1

All dwelling units offered for short-term rentals shall register with the City and secure a certificate of registration according to standards set forth by the Commissioner of Inspectional Services, and pay all associated fees. The certificate of registration shall require the operator to agree to abide by the requirements of this Section 4.60.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Cambridge short-term rental operators must remit all city and state taxes and fees on their rental income, on top of the registration fees charged for the Inspectional Services certificate itself.

Cambridge STR Taxes and Fees Rule

Some Restrictions

Cambridge Zoning Ordinance § 4.64, item 6

Operators of short-term rentals shall remit to the appropriate body all fees and taxes as required by the City and/or State authorities.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Occupancy Limits

Cambridge caps each short-term rental operator at one operator-occupied unit, with no more than three individual bedrooms rented out, plus at most one separate owner-adjacent unit citywide.

Cambridge STR Bedroom and Unit Caps

Some Restrictions

Cambridge Zoning Ordinance § 4.64, item 5

A short-term rental operator may make available no more than one (1) dwelling unit for operator-occupied short-term rentals, which may include the separate short-term rental of no more than three (3) individual bedrooms, and one (1) dwelling unit for owner-adjacent short-term rentals.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Insurance Requirements

Massachusetts law requires STR operators to carry at least 1 million dollars in liability insurance covering each rental, either directly or through the hosting platform.

Cambridge STR Insurance Requirements

Heavy Restrictions

MGL Chapter 64G, Section 14

Section 14: Regulation of operators by cities or towns Section 14. A city or town, by ordinance or by-law, may regulate operators registered pursuant to section 67 of chapter 62C and impose penalties for the violation of such an ordinance or by-law. A city or town, by ordinance or by-law, may: (i) regulate the existence or location of operators under this section within the city or town, incl...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

Cambridge lets residents run operator-occupied short-term rentals only while the operator actually lives there. If the host leaves the unit for more than seven straight days, the rental can no longer be split among separate short-term renters by bedroom.

Cambridge STR Host Presence Rule

Some Restrictions

Cambridge Zoning Ordinance § 4.64, item 9

An operator-occupied short-term rental during which the operator is away from the dwelling unit for more than seven (7) consecutive days may be rented only as a whole unit to one party of short-term renters at any one time and not rented as separate bedrooms to separate parties.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Cambridge only permits operator-occupied short-term rentals in a unit that is the operator's actual primary residence, and operators must prove that status with a tax-exemption enrollment or a sworn affidavit.

Cambridge STR Primary Residence Rule

Significant Restrictions

Cambridge Zoning Ordinance § 4.62(d) and § 4.64, item 1

Operator-occupied short-term rental. The short-term rental of a dwelling unit, or of no more than three (3) individual bedrooms within such dwelling unit, that is the primary residence of its operator. ... Only operator-occupied short-term rentals and owner-adjacent short-term rentals are permitted.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗