Chelsea, MA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Section 6-5(f) requires an operator, defined as the owner of the unit being offered, to register with ISD on a prescribed form to appear on the city's short-term rental registry. 00 per unit annually. 00 registration fee; no registration is granted until the certificate of occupancy is issued. A registration is tied to both the specific unit and the specific operator and does not transfer automatically when the property is sold, so a new owner must re-register before continuing to list the unit. At registration, the operator must certify having permission to offer the unit as a short-term rental and compliance with any condominium or association documents, provide 24-hour contact information for the operator or a designated responder who can be on scene within two hours of a report, and, within 30 days of approval, notify every residential abutter within 300 feet that the unit has been registered.

If ISD later finds the unit subject to a building, sanitary, zoning or fire code violation, an abatement order or a stop-work order, ISD suspends the registration until the problem is resolved.