Short-term rental permit rules in Somerville, MA — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Somerville requires all short-term rentals (rentals under 32 days) to register with the city, comply with owner-occupancy requirements, and pay combined 11.7% state and local room occupancy taxes under MGL c.64G.
Somerville adopted a Short-Term Rental Ordinance requiring every STR operator to register annually with the city. STRs are generally limited to owner-occupied dwellings, meaning the operator must live on the property as their primary residence for at least a portion of the year. Non-owner-occupied investor rentals are significantly restricted or prohibited in many zones. Each registered unit is inspected for life-safety compliance including smoke and CO detectors, egress, and fire code. Operators must collect and remit the 5.7% state room occupancy tax plus the 6% Somerville local option tax under MGL c.64G, along with the Cape/convention fees where applicable. Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo collect state tax automatically but operators remain responsible for local registration and compliance. Unregistered STRs face fines and may be ordered to cease operations.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Middlesex County.
See how other cities in Middlesex County handle permit requirements.
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