Short-term rental rules · Boston, Massachusetts
Short-term rentals in Boston, explained properly.
Boston's 2018 short-term rental ordinance allows only three kinds of rentals, all tied to where the operator or owner lives: a Limited Share Unit (part of the operator's primary residence, with the operator present), a Home Share Unit (the operator's whole primary residence), or an Owner-Adjacent Unit (a separate unit in a building where the owner lives, such as a two- or three-family home). Investor-owned units that aren't the owner's or operator's home are not eligible. Primary residence means living there at least nine months a year. Units must register with the city ($25 or $200). Fines run $100 to $300 per violation per day. Massachusetts also requires state registration, $1 million in liability insurance, and a 5.7% state excise plus Boston's 6.5% local excise.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Three allowed unit types | Limited Share Unit: part of the operator's primary residence, rented while the operator is present. Home Share Unit: the operator's primary residence. Owner-Adjacent Unit: not the owner's primary residence, but in the same dwelling as the owner's primary residence and owned by that owner [1] |
| Primary residence = nine months a year | A primary residence is the unit where the operator lives for at least nine months out of a twelve-month period [1] |
| Occupancy limits | Home Share Units are limited to five bedrooms or ten guests, whichever is less; Limited Share Units to three bedrooms or six guests, with one bedroom reserved for the operator [1] |
| Ineligible units | Income-restricted or affordable units, units barred by other laws or leases, units at Problem or Public Nuisance Properties, and units with three or more violations within six months cannot be short-term rentals [1] |
| Registration: $25 or $200 | Registration costs $25 for a Limited Share Unit and $200 for a Home Share or Owner-Adjacent Unit [1] |
| $100–$300 per violation per day | Offering an ineligible unit is $300 per violation per day; failing to register or to comply with a violation notice is $100 per violation per day [1] |
| State registry, insurance and excise taxes | Massachusetts requires registration with the Department of Revenue, at least $1 million in liability insurance per rental, a 5.7% state room occupancy excise on stays of 31 days or fewer, and a local excise (6.5% in Boston); a community impact fee of up to 3% can apply to professionally managed units [2]Confirming |
Watch this market
Want to know when Boston's rules change?
We watch Boston's official rule pages, council agendas and Massachusetts legislation. When a change affecting short-term rentals is proposed or passed, we email you what changed, when it takes effect, and a link to the source.
Alerts are free. Own in several cities? Pro will track every rule for your whole portfolio.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy.
Detailed rules
The full picture, section by section
Changes
Recent and pending changes
Boston.gov pages are still blocked to automated reading (Incapsula). This pass cross-checked the 2018 ordinance text against the currently codified Boston Municipal Code Chapter 9-14 (via codelibrary.amlegal.com, which is not blocked) and found the unit-type definitions, primary-residence rule, occupancy limits, ineligible-units list, registration fees ($25/$200/$200), and fines ($300/$100/day) all unchanged at our last check. Note: Boston Municipal Code 9-14.5 also currently limits an operator to offering only one whole-unit listing at a time — not yet captured as its own field on this page; worth adding on a future pass. Separately, a May 2026 City Council proposal (Hoodline) would raise general rental-registration fees and fines, but it targets long-term rental registration broadly, not the Chapter 9-14 short-term rental ordinance specifically — watch it, but it is not STR-specific evidence and was not added as a change record here.
Sources
Every rule above links to one of these
Newsletter
Not tracking Boston specifically?
One email a month with STR rule changes across the US markets we track.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy.
Questions
Managing properties in several cities?
Tell us what you're trying to decide and which markets you operate in. We read every message.
This page is general information compiled from public sources, not legal or tax advice. HOA rules, deed restrictions and zoning for a specific property can be stricter. Confirm with the local permitting office and a qualified professional before buying or listing a property.