Lowell, MA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Lowell, MA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Dedicated STR Ordinance
- None - no 'short-term rental' use in Chapter 290
- Accessory room rental cap
- 2 non-transient roomers (Zoning Sec. 4.3.5)
- Tourist home / B&B Inn
- Special Permit required in most districts
- Boarding/Lodging House
- Special Permit; defined as 4+ unrelated lodgers
- Lodging House License
- Annual, renewed each April (G.L. c. 140, Sec. 23)
Summary
Lowell's Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 290) contains no 'short-term rental' use category. Transient, paid lodging falls under 'Boarding or Lodging House' or 'Tourist home/Bed & Breakfast Inn,' which require a special permit in most districts; whole-home Airbnb-style rentals have no by-right zoning path and the city has treated them as not clearly permitted.
Special Rules. 1. In all districts, the renting of rooms or the furnishing of table board by a resident owner to not more than two (2) non-transient roomers or boarders shall be considered as an accessory use provided no separate cooking facilities are maintained, and no sign or nameplate is displayed.
Full Breakdown
The City of Lowell regulates lodging through Chapter 290 (Zoning) of the Code of the City of Lowell rather than a dedicated short-term rental ordinance. 5 (Special Rules) permits a resident owner, in all districts, to rent rooms or furnish table board to 'not more than two (2) non-transient roomers or boarders' as an accessory use, provided no separate cooking facilities are maintained and no sign is displayed. Renting to more than two non-transient roomers as an accessory use is not permitted in any district (Article XIII, Table of Accessory Uses).
Commercial transient lodging is captured by the defined uses 'Tourist home, Bed & Breakfast Inn' and 'Boarding or Lodging house, fraternity' in the Article XII Table of Principal Uses, both of which require a Special Permit (SP) from the Zoning Board of Appeals in most residential and mixed-use districts and are simply not allowed (N) in single-family and several other districts. ' Because the ordinance offers no 'short-term rental' classification and limits accessory room rental to two non-transient roomers, an owner wishing to operate a whole-home or multi-guest transient rental must obtain a special permit for a lodging use where the district allows it; many districts allow no such use at all.
c. 140, § 23, with annual renewal each April. Hosts should confirm zoning with the Department of Planning and Development (978-674-4252) and the licensing authority before listing.
Violations & Fines
Operating a lodging use without the required special permit, or renting to more than the permitted number of roomers, is a zoning violation enforced by the Inspectional Services / code enforcement office under Chapter 290 and G.L. c. 40A, with cease-and-desist orders, fines, and denial or revocation of permits. Operating an unlicensed lodging house violates G.L. c. 140, § 23.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lowell have a short-term rental permit?
Can I rent a room in my home in Lowell?
What is a lodging house in Lowell?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lowell
How Lowell compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Lowell to another location·View the Massachusetts short-term rentals overview
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Short-Term Rental Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle short-term rental permits.