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

Quincy regulates short-term rentals through zoning ordinance § 196-14, which requires annual registration with the Department of Inspectional Services and classifies units as a limited share, home share, or owner-adjacent unit. The ordinance does not adopt a per-bedroom occupancy cap. Three layers of state regulation set the enforceable ceiling. First, MGL c.64G (as amended by Chapter 337 of the Acts of 2018) requires every operator of a property rented for 31 days or fewer to obtain a Certificate of Registration through the Massachusetts Department of Revenue STR Registry under MGL c.62C, §67; the registration requires the operator to declare the unit's bedroom count and maximum overnight guests, which becomes the enforceable occupancy limit for that listing. Second, 105 CMR 410 (State Sanitary Code, Chapter II - Minimum Standards of Fitness for Human Habitation) sets minimum sleeping-room floor areas of 70 square feet for one occupant and 50 square feet per additional occupant in any habitable room used for sleeping. Third, 780 CMR (Massachusetts State Building Code, Tenth Edition based on 2021 IBC/IRC) defines bedrooms by minimum dimensions and emergency-egress windows. Quincy's § 196-14 also requires a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate from the Quincy Fire Department before operating, and prohibits STR use in Residence A zoning districts and in below-market-rate or income-restricted units. Operators renting more than three sleeping rooms to four or more unrelated lodgers may also fall under MGL c.140, §§22-32 (lodging-house statute) and require a separate City of Quincy lodging-house license issued by the Board of License Commissioners.