Essex County short-term rentals are capped at two guests per bedroom plus a small allowance, and the state sanitary code sets a minimum floor area of 150 square feet for the first occupant of any sleeping room.
Local short-term rental bylaws set maximum occupancy, most commonly two persons per bedroom with an additional two allowed overall — so a three-bedroom unit tops out near eight guests. These caps ride on top of the Massachusetts sanitary code, which fixes minimum sleeping-room floor area: at least 150 square feet for the first occupant and 100 additional square feet for each additional occupant. Operators must post the maximum occupancy and cannot advertise or accept bookings above it. Exceeding the limit is a frequent basis for neighbor complaints and enforcement.
Fines up to $300 per day and code-enforcement orders; persistent over-occupancy leads to suspension or revocation of the local registration.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Essex County, MA
Light trespass, a neighbor's glare spilling onto your property, is controlled by town outdoor-lighting bylaws across Essex County, not by state law. Fixtures...
Essex County, MA
Massachusetts has no statewide dark-sky law, so night-sky protection in Essex County comes from town outdoor-lighting bylaws. Rowley, Rockport, and other com...
Essex County, MA
Parks in Essex County close at night. State conservation land follows a dawn-to-dusk rule under 302 CMR 12.03, and each town sets matching hours for its own ...
Essex County, MA
Massachusetts has no statewide juvenile curfew, and Essex County has no county code. A few towns keep local nighttime curfews, but the state's high court lim...
Essex County, MA
Commercial drone work anywhere in Essex County runs under the FAA's Part 107 rule. Massachusetts adds no county permit; operators hold a Remote Pilot Certifi...
Essex County, MA
Recreational drone flying across Essex County follows federal FAA rules, not a county code. Fly under 400 feet, within sight, pass the free TRUST test, and r...
See how Essex County's occupancy limits rules stack up against other locations.
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