Every short-term rental operator in Hampshire County must carry liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 under MGL c.175 §4F, unless the hosting platform provides equal coverage. The mandate is statewide, in Northampton as in Ware.
Massachusetts requires short-term rental hosts to hold liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 covering each rental, under MGL c.175 §4F. The mandate applies to every Hampshire County community, Northampton, Amherst, Easthampton, and Ware alike, because it is state law, not a county or local rule. A host is excused only when the hosting platform, such as Airbnb or Vrbo, carries equal or greater coverage. Standard homeowner policies exclude commercial rental activity, so hosts booking directly add a short-term-rental policy to meet the floor.
Operating without the required $1,000,000 coverage breaches MGL c.175 §4F and state STR law, exposing the host to enforcement and denial or loss of any local registration.
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