Short-Term Rentals in Barnstable County, MA (2026)

Permit Requirements

Barnstable County (Cape Cod) does NOT issue short-term rental permits or licenses. Under the Massachusetts Constitution, the Home Rule Amendment (Article 89), and Chapter 337 of the Acts of 2018 (codified at MGL c.64G, c.62C s.67, and c.64G s.14), STR registration and licensing is split between two layers: (1) statewide mandatory operator registration with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR), required for every operator regardless of rental volume since July 1, 2019; and (2) town-level rental certificates and zoning rules administered by each of Cape Cod's 15 towns (Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Mashpee, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet, Yarmouth). Barnstable County's only direct STR-related role is the 2.75% Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund excise (MGL c.64G s.3C), which is collected by DOR on every Cape Cod STR booking and funds wastewater infrastructure regionally. The combined state, county, and local tax in most Cape towns is 14.45%; Provincetown adds a 3% community impact fee on professionally-managed units for a 17.45% total.