Springfield, MA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)
Key Facts
- Threshold
- 3 violations in 6 months
- Consequence
- 6-month rental ban
- Scope
- Any unit at the property
- Enforced by
- Code Enforcement Department
Summary
A Springfield short-term rental property that racks up three or more violations of the ordinance, any municipal law, state law, or the building code within six months loses eligibility to operate for six months.
Three or more violations in a six-month period. Should a property receive three or more violations within a six-month period under this section, or of any municipal ordinance, state law, or building code, any residential unit within the property shall be ineligible to be used as a short-term rental for a period of six months from the third or subsequent violation.
J. Compliance and interaction with other laws. Operators shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and codes, including but not limited to the Fair Housing Act, MGL c. 151B and local equivalents and regulations related thereto, and all other regulations applicable to residential dwellings. Operators shall certify at the time of registration that the operator is the owner of the residential unit offered as a short-term rental.
K.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4680006; v21 updated 2025-12-15; through 12-15-2025).
Full Breakdown
Section 238-5.I of the Springfield, Massachusetts, General Code makes any residential unit within a property ineligible to be used as a short-term rental for six months once that property receives three or more violations within a six-month window, whether the violations are under Chapter 238 itself or any other municipal ordinance, state law, or building code. A related provision, § 238-4.A(4), independently bars a unit from ever being offered as a short-term rental if it already has three such findings in a prior six-month period, including violations for noise, improper trash disposal, or disorderly conduct.
Violations & Fines
A third violation within six months triggers an automatic six-month short-term-rental ban for the whole property under § 238-5.I, on top of the chapter's $300-per-violation-per-day fine under § 238-7.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens after three violations at a Springfield short-term rental?
Do the three violations have to be short-term-rental specific?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Springfield
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