Newton, MA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (2026)

Section 20-164(j)(1) lists exactly what an Operator's house rules must cover, and two of the seven required topics are parking: subsection (iv) requires the rules to state the location of parking stalls on the property, and subsection (v) requires them to cover neighborhood parking regulations and restrictions so guests do not park somewhere the City prohibits. Those rules sit inside the broader house-rules mandate in Section 20-164(j), which requires the Operator to put the rules in writing, distribute them to occupants before their stay begins, and post them in a visible place inside the unit alongside the certificate of registration.

Parking is also folded into the ordinance's 'no nuisance' clause, Section 20-164(b), which bars a short-term rental from disrupting the immediate neighborhood through traffic, parking congestion, or any other nuisance beyond what normally occurs in the immediate residential area. The Operator carries the burden under Section 20-164(m) of showing compliance, and appointing an agent does not relieve the Operator of responsibility for a guest's parking violation. The Inspectional Services Department and Newton Police Department enforce Article IX; a substantiated parking complaint draws a written notice of violation with 30 days to correct it, and Section 20-165(c) authorizes a fine of up to $300 per violation, with each day counted separately, plus suspension or termination of the Operator's registration certificate.

A property that accumulates three or more violation notices, including parking violations, within a twelve-month period loses eligibility for short-term rental use for six months under Section 20-161(d).