Boston, MA Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing tax statute
- M.G.L. Chapter 64G Room Occupancy Excise
- Local ordinance section
- Boston Code § 9-14.7
- Collector of record
- Operator, or booking agent under city agreement
- Related registration fee
- $25-$200 per unit annually (§ 9-14.6)
- Noncompliance fine
- $100 per violation per day (§ 9-14.9)
Summary
Boston short-term rental operators registered under the city's Inspectional Services regime must also collect and remit the Massachusetts Room Occupancy Excise under M.G.L. Chapter 64G. Operators may route collection through a booking agent under a city agreement, but the underlying tax duty runs to the operator directly.
9-14.7 Room Occupancy Excise. A residential unit subject to the provisions of this Section that is also subject to the Room Occupancy Excise under M.G.L Chapter 64G or any other excise or surcharge pertaining to short-term rentals or transient occupancy shall comply with the provisions of said statutes. Notwithstanding any provision or requirement to the contrary, an operator may use a Booking Agent for the purposes of collecting and remitting the applicable room occupancy excise to the commonwealth, and said booking agent shall enter into an agreement with the city for the collection and remittance of such tax. If an operator does not use a booking agent to collect payment for a short-term rental, the operator shall be responsible for collecting and remitting the applicable room occupancy excise tax to the commonwealth. (Ord. 2018 c. 5 § 1)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Current through Ordinance 2025 C. 14, passed 11-5-2025).
Full Breakdown
7, part of the city's Short-Term Rental ordinance (Article 14 of Chapter IX), ties every registered short-term rental unit to the state's room occupancy excise system. L. Chapter 64G, or any other excise or surcharge pertaining to short-term rentals or transient occupancy, must comply with those state statutes directly; the city ordinance does not set its own separate tax rate. The section builds in a collection mechanism: an operator may use a Booking Agent to collect and remit the applicable excise to the commonwealth, but that booking agent must first sign an agreement with the city for the collection and remittance of the tax.
If an operator does not route payments through a booking agent, the operator is personally responsible for collecting and remitting the excise to the commonwealth. 6, which run $25 for a limited share unit and $200 for a home share or owner-adjacent unit. Registration and tax compliance are cross-checked: ISD compares registration data against records from other city departments, including DoIT and DND, on an ongoing basis to verify that registered operators remain compliant with the section as a whole, tax obligations included.
Violations & Fines
Section 9-14.7 has no standalone fine; noncompliance is folded into the ordinance's general enforcement chain. ISD may investigate a complaint under Section 9-14.8, issue a notice of violation, and if it is not remedied, Section 9-14.9 sets fines of $100 per violation per day for failing to comply with a notice of violation, with each day of continued noncompliance a separate offense; ISD may also seek a court injunction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Boston set its own short-term rental tax rate?
Who is responsible for remitting the tax if I do not use a booking platform?
Can Airbnb or a similar platform pay the tax for me?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boston
How Boston compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·Compare Boston to another location·View the Massachusetts short-term rentals overview
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