Middlesex County STRs must comply with State Building Code 780 CMR occupancy standards and local bylaws, typically limiting occupancy to two people per bedroom plus two, with lodging-house rules for 4+ unrelated.
Occupancy limits for short-term rentals in Middlesex County are determined by a combination of the Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR), the State Sanitary Code (105 CMR 410 minimum standards of fitness for human habitation), and local STR bylaws. The sanitary code requires at least 70 square feet of bedroom floor area for the first occupant and 50 additional square feet per additional occupant. Most Middlesex STR ordinances adopt a formula of 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 additional, with an absolute cap (commonly 10 or 12 people per unit). Under MGL c.140 s.22-32, renting to four or more unrelated persons may trigger lodging house licensing, which is a separate and more restrictive classification. Cambridge limits STR occupancy based on owner-occupied primary residence rules, and Somerville requires the operator to reside in the unit except for limited non-hosted allowances. Exceeding stated occupancy is a registration violation and a building code infraction.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Middlesex County, MA
Middlesex County has no operational county government - it was abolished July 11, 1997 under M.G.L. c. 34B - so there is no countywide noise ordinance. Massa...
Middlesex County, MA
Middlesex County treats persistent barking as a nuisance. Animal control handles complaints. Dog licensing required statewide (MGL c.140 §155).
Middlesex County, MA
Middlesex County has no unified leaf blower ordinance. Regulations are set by individual cities and towns such as Cambridge, Newton, Arlington, and Lexington...
Middlesex County, MA
Middlesex County restricts commercial vehicle parking in residential zones. Weight and size limits apply. Overnight storage of heavy trucks prohibited.
Middlesex County, MA
Driveway rules are set by each Middlesex County city or town zoning bylaw. Cambridge, Somerville, Lowell, and Framingham regulate curb cuts, width, paving, a...
Middlesex County, MA
Winter parking bans are the dominant rule across Middlesex County. Most cities prohibit overnight on-street parking from November through April to allow snow...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Middlesex County.
See how other cities in Middlesex County handle occupancy limits.
See how Arlington's occupancy limits rules stack up against other locations.
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