Worcester, MA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Ordained September 29, 2022 and amended July 16, 2024, Section 18 establishes the Rental Property Registration Program to promote public health and safety, maintain an inventory of the city's rented buildings and lots, and give first responders information for emergencies. Subsection (c) requires registration for single-family dwellings not occupied by their owner, all other rental dwellings including two-, three- and multi-family buildings, commercial, retail, office or industrial rented space, and lots rented for commercial purposes. Subsection (d) exempts owner-occupied two- and three-family dwellings, and exempts newly built dwellings receiving occupancy permits on or after September 29, 2022 for five years, though a change of ownership during that window still triggers registration within 30 days.

00 for lot renewal, with a 10% discount for completing registration online; a change in ownership requires a new registration and fee. Subsection (h) requires entity owners, such as corporations or trusts, to name a primary contact person, and subsection (i) requires an owner living more than 60 miles from the property to appoint a local representative who lives within that distance. Subsection (j) makes noncompliance punishable by a fine equal to double the applicable registration or renewal fee for each month of noncompliance, enforceable by civil, criminal or non-criminal process, including injunctive relief.