Medford, MA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Section 94-8.4.4 of the Revised Ordinances lists the operating requirements every short-term rental in the City of Medford must meet in addition to the standards and regulations promulgated by the building commissioner under Section 94-8.4.1. Subsection (3) sets the occupancy ceiling: a rental "shall be limited to six guests, or two guests per guest bedroom, whichever is fewer." A three-bedroom unit, for example, is capped at six guests under that formula rather than being allowed a higher per-bedroom count. Subsection (2) reinforces the cap by requiring a unit be "rented to only one party of short term renters at a time," so an operator cannot split a house into separate bookings for multiple unrelated groups to get around the guest limit.

Subsection (1) also requires the rental to be the operator's primary residence, and Section 94-8.4.6 separately bars hourly rentals or stays under ten consecutive hours and prohibits commercial meetings or events on the premises. Operators must register the unit with the building department under Section 94-8.4.13, pay a $200 annual registration fee, and post the city's parking, noise and waste-disposal rules inside the unit under Section 94-8.4.10 so guests can see the occupancy and house rules that apply.