Somerville, MA Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Fee amount
- $250.00 per registration or renewal
- Paid to
- City via Inspectional Services (ISD) online
- Certificate term
- Expires every March 31
- Renewal window
- Opens February 1 each year
- Separate from
- State DOR room occupancy excise registration
Summary
Somerville charges short-term rental operators a flat $250.00 fee every time they register or renew, payable directly to Inspectional Services with the application. There's no percentage-of-revenue occupancy tax baked into the city ordinance itself; the $250 is a straight registration fee tied to the city's annual certificate cycle.
(d) Fee. At the time of application for registration or renewal, Operators shall submit the applicable fee of $250.00 as set forth by the Council.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Zoning Ordinances: Revision - CodeBank PDF Post).
Full Breakdown
00 registration fee due whenever an operator applies for a new short-term rental certificate or renews an existing one, payable under a schedule set by the city council alongside the application filed online with Inspectional Services (ISD). The fee accompanies a full application package under subsection (c): proof of primary residence at the unit, signed owner-approval paperwork if the operator isn't the owner, a certificate of registration with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue for the unit, and proof of sufficient insurance. Certificates run on an annual cycle rather than a rolling year: every certificate expires the following March 31 regardless of issue date, and operators can apply to renew starting February 1 of the year it expires.
If an operator is a tenant whose lease ends before the certificate's expiration, subsection (g)(3) requires new proof of primary residence before the lease end date or the certificate becomes invalid. The $250 fee is separate from, and in addition to, any state room occupancy excise the operator owes the Massachusetts Department of Revenue on the rental itself; the local fee only covers the city's registration and inspection process, including the pre-certificate inspection ISD conducts under subsection (e) to confirm the unit meets minimum safety requirements.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a paid, current registration is itself a violation of the short-term rental ordinance, punishable under the Section 7-256 fine schedule at $300.00 per offense, enforced by Police and Inspectional Services through a noncriminal disposition under G.L. c. 40, § 21D. Each day a unit is rented without a valid, fee-paid certificate counts as a separate offense, and a certificate that lapses because the $250 renewal fee wasn't paid by the March 31 expiration leaves the unit unlicensed until it is cured.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to register a short-term rental in Somerville?
When does a Somerville short-term rental certificate expire?
Does Somerville's $250 fee replace the state hotel/motel tax on short-term rentals?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Somerville
How Somerville compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·Compare Somerville to another location·View the Massachusetts short-term rentals overview
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Taxes & Fees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle taxes & fees.