Boston, MA Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- Boston Code Ch. 9 §9-14
- Effective
- January 2019
- Enforcing agency
- ISD
- Investor units
- Categorically prohibited
- Min stay threshold
- Under 28 days
Summary
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 Short-Term Rental (STR) program allows the renting of residential units for less than twenty-eight (28) days for a fee. Residential units offered as short term rentals are only allowed in owner-occupied condominiums, single-family, two-family, and three-family buildings. For two-family and three-family buildings, the owner-occupant must own all the units. [...] Primary residence of Owner: Limited Share and Home Share units must be an owner-operator's primary residence. An Owner-Adjacent unit needs to be located within the same property as an owner-operator's primary residence. To be considered a primary residence, an owner needs to live in the property for at least nine months out of a 12-month period. When requested, you must be able to demonstrate: that you lived at the property for nine of the past 12 months, or that you plan to live in the property for nine of the next 12 months.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
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.
Violations & Fines
Operating a non-primary residence as a short-term rental is prohibited and triggers daily fines. ISD may cite both host and listing platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent my second home on Airbnb in Boston?
What proves primary residency?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boston
Compare Boston to another location·View the Massachusetts short-term rentals overview
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Primary-Residence-Only Rule in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle primary-residence-only rule.