Newton, MA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Newton, MA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Registering agency
- Inspectional Services Department
- Applies to units renting after
- January 1, 2020
- Required documents
- State cert, affidavit, smoke/CO cert, house rules
- Annual certification due
- First business day of January
- Abutter notice window
- Within 30 days of registration
- Bar on outstanding violations
- Sec. 20-161(c)
Summary
Newton bars anyone from offering a short-term rental unless the operator registers with the Inspectional Services Department under Sec. 20-161/20-162, submitting a state registration certificate, sworn affidavit, smoke/CO compliance certificate, house rules, and a fee before the first booking.
(a) Compliance. No Residential Unit shall be offered as a Short Term Rental except in compliance with the provisions of this article. (b) Registration. Operators of any Short Term Rental located in the City of Newton must register with the City in accordance with Sec. 20-162 of this article. ... Operators must register with the Inspectional Services Department prior to the occupancy of any Short Term Rental that commences after January 1, 2020 by submitting the following: (a) State Certificate. A copy of the State certificate of registration issued in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 62C, Section 67. (b) Local Operator Affidavit. A completed sworn Local Operator Affidavit...
Full Breakdown
Sec. 20-161(a) forbids offering a Residential Unit as a Short Term Rental except in compliance with the article, and Sec. 20-161(b) requires operators to register under Sec. 20-162 before doing so. Sec. c. 62C, § 67; a sworn Local Operator Affidavit covering contact information, proof of ownership and residence, and a description of the rooms being rented; a smoke and carbon monoxide Certificate of Compliance from the Fire Department; a copy of the required house rules; and a $100 registration filing fee. Sec. 20-161(c) makes a property ineligible to rent while it carries any outstanding building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire, health, housing, trash, noise, or zoning enforcement action, or any inactive building permit.
Sec. 20-161(e) requires operators to file a sworn annual compliance certification with Inspectional Services on the first business day of January. Sec. 20-161(f) requires operators, within 30 days of registering, to notify all abutters (and abutters to the abutters) of the registration, the operator's contact information, and the registration number, repeating that notice every January 1; the ordinance states outright that failing to give this notice is itself a violation. Sec. 20-163 authorizes Inspectional Services, Health and Human Services, and the Fire Department to inspect any registered Short Term Rental for compliance.
Violations & Fines
Operating a Short Term Rental without completing registration under Sec. 20-162 violates the Sec. 20-161(a) compliance requirement. Sec. 20-161(f) expressly makes failure to notify abutters within 30 days a violation of the ordinance. Properties carrying open code enforcement or inactive permits are barred from renting under Sec. 20-161(c) until those issues are resolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I list a room on Airbnb in Newton without registering first?
What documents does Newton require to register a short-term rental?
Do I have to notify my neighbors that I'm running a short-term rental in Newton?
Can a property with an open code violation register as a short-term rental in Newton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newton
How Newton compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Newton 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.