Boston limits non-owner-occupied Limited Share Units and restricts STR to primary residences. Owner-occupied units have no night cap, while Home Share Units are capped at the host's residence.
Boston's STR ordinance classifies rentals as Home Share Unit (owner-occupied), Owner-Adjacent Unit, or (formerly) Limited Share Unit. Investor-owned STRs are banned citywide. Home Share Units rented while the host is absent have no explicit annual night cap, unlike NYC or San Francisco, but the unit must remain the operator's primary residence per affidavit. Owner-Adjacent Units (a unit in a two- or three-family where the owner also lives on-site) can be rented without night caps. ISD audits utility bills, driver's license, and voter registration to verify primary residence. Violations of the primary-residence rule trigger revocation and daily fines up to $300.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Boston code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Boston, MA
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Boston, MA
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Boston, MA
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Boston, MA
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Boston, MA
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Boston, MA
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