Boston Ordinance 12-9.1 (2018, revised 2019) restricts short-term rentals to a host's primary residence. Investor-owned, non-owner-occupied units cannot legally operate as STRs anywhere in Boston regardless of zoning.
Boston's 2018 STR ordinance, codified at City Code Ch. 9, restricts STR registration to units that are the host's primary residence. Three license types existed initially: Home Share, Owner-Adjacent, and Owner-Occupied; the 2019 amendment eliminated the Owner-Adjacent class after court challenge. Hosts must demonstrate primary residency via voter registration, driver's license, or utility bills. Buildings with five or more residential units, executive suites, and units subject to affordability covenants are categorically ineligible. The Inspectional Services Department (ISD) enforces, and platforms like Airbnb must remove unregistered listings.
Operating a non-primary residence as a short-term rental is prohibited and triggers daily fines. ISD may cite both host and listing platform.
Boston, MA
Boston requires STR registration through Inspectional Services with a $200 annual fee. Only owner-occupied properties qualify, and operators must reside in t...
Boston, MA
Boston requires every short-term rental to register with the Inspectional Services Department, pay an annual fee, and display the registration number in ever...
See how Boston's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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