Somerville does not impose a fixed annual night cap on owner-occupied STRs, but non-owner-occupied STRs face significant restrictions that effectively limit commercial STR activity.
Unlike Boston or Cambridge, Somerville has not enacted a specific annual night cap (such as 90 or 120 nights) on owner-occupied short-term rentals. Instead, Somerville regulates primarily through owner-occupancy requirements: rentals are generally restricted to a host's primary residence, which naturally limits rental frequency because the owner must live there. Non-owner-occupied STRs face substantial zoning restrictions and may be prohibited in most residential zones. Somerville periodically reviews STR regulations and may add nightly caps in the future. Operators should monitor ordinance updates. Condominium associations and landlord leases may impose their own stricter limits, including complete bans, which are enforceable independent of city rules. Multi-family building operators should also confirm that each unit complies with the Somerville ordinance and any condo or HOA documents.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Somerville, MA
Somerville restricts amplified music through its noise ordinance and entertainment licensing, with plainly-audible standards at property lines and stricter c...
Somerville, MA
Somerville limits construction noise to daytime and early-evening weekday hours with shorter Saturday windows and a full Sunday and holiday prohibition, refl...
Somerville, MA
Overnight street parking in Somerville requires a resident permit citywide. Snow emergencies trigger odd-even or posted-side bans.
Somerville, MA
Commercial vehicles over 2.5 tons cannot park overnight on Somerville residential streets. Loading zones are time-limited and signed by block.
Somerville, MA
Most Somerville streets are resident-permit zones. Non-residents are limited to 2 hours on posted blocks from 8 AM to 8 PM daily including weekends.
Somerville, MA
Somerville requires a building permit for most fence installations, with historic districts adding a Historic Preservation Commission review step for visible...
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