Short-term rental rules · Revere, Massachusetts
Short-term rentals in Revere, explained properly.
Revere allows short-term rentals only in a home the operator owns and lives in: the operator's own primary residence unit, or an owner-adjacent unit in a building of four or fewer units (or a condominium building) where the owner lives. Rentals are limited to six months of rental a year, six unrelated guests at a time, and are not allowed in accessory dwelling units. Every unit must be registered with the City, inspected, insured for at least $250,000 per incident, and registered with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Fines are $490 per violation per day. We haven't reviewed the Revere zoning ordinance, the City fee schedule or the local excise votes yet.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Are short-term rentals allowed? | Conditional: allowed only in the operator's own primary residence unit or an owner-adjacent unit in a dwelling the operator owns and lives in, registered with the City, for up to six (6) months of rental in a calendar year [1] ClauseConfirming |
| Is City short-term rental registration required? | Yes: register the unit with the short-term rental enforcement office and pass an inspection before offering or advertising it; the registration runs to December 31 of the year the certificate of inspection is issued [1] Clause |
| Must the owner live on the property as a primary residence? | Yes: the operator must be the owner, and the rental must be the operator's primary residence unit or an owner-adjacent unit in a dwelling that holds the operator's primary residence; proof of owner occupancy is required at registration [1] Clause |
| Is there a limit on how many months a year a unit can be rented as a short-term rental? | Yes: no more than six (6) months of rental in a calendar year, and each rental period must be fewer than thirty (30) days [1] Clause |
| Is there a cap on short-term rental licenses per dwelling? | Yes: the City grants no more than two (2) short-term rental licenses to a dwelling (stated for owner-adjacent units in dwellings of four or fewer units and for primary residence units) [1] Clause |
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Detailed rules
The full picture, section by section
Operating rules
| Occupancy limit | Up to six (6) unrelated persons per rental party, exclusive of children under twelve, and no more than two (2) persons per bedroom [1] Clause Sections 8.09.030(A) and 8.09.010 cap a rental party at six unrelated renters, exclusive of children under twelve years of age. Section 8.09.030(B) limits occupancy to two persons per bedroom, excluding children under twelve related to, or the legal ward of, either bedroom occupant. The bedrooms offered may not exceed the lawful bedrooms in the dwelling unit (Sec. 8.09.030(D)). |
|---|---|
| Renting bedrooms to separate parties | Not allowed: the unit must be rented as a whole to one party at a time, and dividing it into separate bedrooms for separate rental parties is prohibited [1] Clause This is stated for owner-adjacent condominium units, owner-adjacent units in dwellings of four or fewer units, and primary residence units in Sec. 8.09.030(A)(1) to (3). |
| Are hourly rentals allowed? | No: hourly rentals are prohibited [1] Clause Section 8.09.030(G). |
| Are commercial meetings and uses allowed in a short-term rental? | No: no short-term rental may be used for a commercial meeting, and commercial use of a short-term rental unit is prohibited [1] Clause Section 8.09.030(E). |
| Is subletting a short-term rental allowed? | No: sublet or sub-rental of a short-term rental unit or a room or space in it is prohibited, and a renter cannot sublet rooms or spaces as short-term rentals [1] Clause Section 8.09.030(F). |
| Can an accessory dwelling unit be used as a short-term rental? | No: accessory dwelling units, as defined in Chapter 17.25 of the Zoning bylaws of the City of Revere, are prohibited from being used as a short-term rental [1] Clause Section 8.09.030(H). The history note shows this subsection sits in a section amended by C.O. 24-176 on 9/9/2024. |
| Can income-restricted or affordability-covenant units be offered as short-term rentals? | No: units designated below market rate or income-restricted, subject to affordability covenants, or subject to housing or rental assistance are not eligible [1] Clause Section 8.09.060(B). Other disqualifiers are in the Other disqualifying conditions row. |
| Other disqualifying conditions | A unit is not eligible if a condominium or homeowner association rule or law bars leasing or short-term rental, if it has three or more violation findings in one year, if it was rented to a Section 8 certificate holder or under affordability covenants within the last year, or if the operator owes local taxes or charges [1] Clause Section 8.09.060(C) to (F). For units previously rented to a Section 8 certificate holder or under affordability covenants, eligibility returns one year after the Section 8 tenancy or affordability restriction expires. The three-violation test counts findings under the chapter, or violations of municipal ordinances or state law on health, safety or sanitary conditions, within a one-year period. |
| Does the registration transfer to a new owner? | No: the registration expires when ownership of the unit or the property containing it is transferred, and the new owner completes a new registration [1] Clause Section 8.09.030(C), with the registration steps in Sec. 8.09.040. |
| Liability insurance | Required: a valid insurance binder with liability limits of at least $250,000 per incident and coverage for short-term rental use, submitted with the registration [1] Clause Section 8.09.040(A)(5). |
| Registration number in listings | Required: all online listings and postings must display the City's registration number, and the registration form asks for the listing URLs [1] Clause Sections 8.09.050(B) and 8.09.040(A)(6). |
| Inspections | An inspection is required before registration (completed within 21 days of a complete application and fee) and all short-term rentals are inspected annually by the enforcement office and the Fire Prevention office [1] Clause Section 8.09.040(C) and Sec. 8.09.050(E). A unit that fails can be fixed and re-inspected at no added fee; each further inspection after the first re-inspection costs $50. Units must also meet the standards of the enforcement office and the Fire Department's Office of Fire Prevention and all zoning, building, sanitary, fire and health laws. |
| Information to give renters and post | Required: give every rental party a document with waste instructions, a bedroom emergency exit diagram, operator or local emergency contact information and a noise instruction; post it on an 11 by 14 inch poster in the unit and an exit sign in each bedroom [1] Clause Section 8.09.050(F) to (H). The poster must measure at least eleven by fourteen inches, and the bedroom exit sign at least eight and one-half by eleven inches. |
| Books and records | Operators must keep an accurate record of renters' names and rental dates for three (3) years and give it to an enforcement officer on request [1] Clause Section 8.09.050(D). |
| City and State taxes and fees | Operators must pay the excise tax and community impact fees on short-term rentals that the City Council has approved under G.L. c. 64G, sections 3A and 3D; the State excise is shown in the Massachusetts section, and we haven't confirmed the City's local rates or votes [1] ClauseConfirming Section 8.09.070 refers to the excise tax and community impact fees approved by the city council and gives no rate figures. The City's fee schedule (Appendix A) and the Council's votes haven't been reviewed yet. |
Fees, penalties & enforcement
| Registration fee | $300 a year per short-term rental unit, in addition to the excise tax and community impact fees; the fee comes from the ordinance text, and the City's fee schedule hasn't been reviewed yet [1] ClauseConfirming Section 8.09.040(B) sets the annual fee of three hundred dollars per unit. Each owner-adjacent unit is registered and charged separately. Each inspection after the first re-inspection costs $50. The ordinance history shows adoption on 8/23/2021 and an amendment on 9/9/2024; we haven't reviewed Appendix A (Fee Schedule) to see whether it lists a different or dated amount. |
|---|---|
| Fines for violations | $490 per violation per day; each day of failure to comply with a notice or order is a separate violation, and the City may issue a cease-and-desist order and seek an injunction [1] Clause Section 8.09.080 enforces the chapter under R.R.O. Chapter 1.12, Article II or III (which includes M.G.L. ch. 40U) or by court injunction. The section was amended by C.O. 24-176 on 9/9/2024. |
State law that also applies
| Massachusetts room occupancy excise on short-term rentals | 5% state excise on the total rent for each short-term rental occupancy, unless the rent is under $15 a day; a city or town that accepts the local option may add up to 6% (Boston up to 6.5%) and, by separate vote, a community impact fee of up to 3% on professionally managed units [2] [3] [4] [5] Clause 1 Clause 2 Clause 3 Clause 4 Chapter 64G section 3 imposes an excise of 5 per cent of the total amount of rent for each occupancy of a short-term rental, with no excise if the total rent is less than $15 per day, payable by the operator to the commissioner of revenue when the operator files the return under chapter 62C section 16. No excises or fees under the chapter apply if the operator transfers the short-term rental for not more than 14 days in a calendar year, but only if the operator first registered with the commissioner and filed a signed declaration (required annually) of the intent to do so; an operator who transfers it for 15 days or more, or who does not register and file the declaration, owes the excise and fees, including on the first 14 days. Section 3A lets a city or town that accepts it by vote impose a local excise of not more than 6 per cent of the rent (Boston, 6.5 per cent), which the operator pays to the commissioner together with the State excise. Section 3D lets a city or town that accepted section 3A impose, by separate vote, a community impact fee of not more than 3 per cent of the rent on professionally managed units, and by a further vote on units in a two- or three-family dwelling that includes the operator's primary residence, with at least 35 per cent of the proceeds dedicated to affordable housing or local infrastructure. Section 3C adds a 2.75 per cent excise in municipalities that belong to the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund. Under section 14 of the 2018 act, sections 3, 3A, 3C and 3D apply to occupancies that start on or after July 1, 2019 under contracts entered on or after January 1, 2019. Which cities and towns have accepted the local options is shown on each place's page where official sources show it. This page does not combine these rates into one total. |
|---|---|
| Must short-term rental operators register with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue? | Yes: no one may operate a short-term rental unless the commissioner of revenue has issued a certificate of registration under chapter 62C section 67 [4] [5] [2] Clause 1 Clause 2 Clause 3 Section 6 of chapter 64G, as enacted by chapter 337 of the Acts of 2018 (approved December 28, 2018), says a person shall not operate a bed and breakfast establishment, hotel, lodging house, short-term rental or motel unless a certificate of registration has been issued under section 67 of chapter 62C. The chapter defines a short-term rental as an owner-occupied, tenant-occupied or non-owner occupied property, including an apartment, house, cottage or condominium, where at least one room or unit is rented to an occupant and all accommodations are reserved in advance, and counts occupancy of a room in a short-term rental normally used for sleeping and living purposes for not more than 31 consecutive calendar days. An operator who transfers the rental for not more than 14 days in a calendar year must still register and file an annual declaration to qualify for the excise exemption. An intermediary that collects rent for an operator must obtain the certificate in the operator's name. A city or town may accept the State certificate in place of a local license or registration. We haven't reviewed the text of chapter 62C section 67 yet. |
| Is liability insurance required for short-term rental operators? | Yes: at least $1,000,000 of liability insurance for each short-term rental, unless it is offered through a hosting platform that maintains equal or greater coverage [6] Clause Chapter 175 section 4F(b) requires an operator to maintain liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 to cover each short-term rental, unless the rental is offered through a hosting platform that maintains equal or greater coverage. The coverage must defend and indemnify the operator and any tenants or owners in the building for bodily injury and property damage arising from the short-term rental. A hosting platform must tell the operator, before the operator offers a rental through it, that standard homeowners or renters insurance may not cover third-party property damage or bodily injury. An operator who intends to run a short-term rental must notify any insurer that writes a homeowners or renters policy for the property. |
| Does state law let cities and towns regulate short-term rentals? | Yes: a city or town may regulate registered operators by ordinance or by-law, including the location and class of operators, the number of licenses or permits and the number of days a year a unit may be rented, and may require registration or licensing, inspections and fees and set civil penalties [4] Clause Section 14 of chapter 64G, as enacted by chapter 337 of the Acts of 2018, lets a city or town by ordinance or by-law regulate operators registered with the Department of Revenue and impose penalties. Among the listed powers, it may regulate the existence or location of operators, the class of operators, the number of local licenses or permits and the number of days a person may operate and rent out an accommodation in a calendar year; require licensing or registration (accepting the State certificate in its place, or issuing a provisional license for temporary or seasonal use); require operators to show there is no outstanding building, fire, health or zoning enforcement; require health and safety inspections at the operator's cost; set a civil penalty (telling the commissioner of revenue when it suspends or ends an operator's right to operate); and set a reasonable fee for local administration. Operators must also post inside the unit the location of fire extinguishers, gas shut-off valves, fire exits and fire alarms. A city or town may publish a public registry of registered short-term rentals. The sources reviewed are the 2018 act as passed and individual codified sections; we haven't reviewed the current codified text of section 14 or any Massachusetts agency pages. |
| Can an HOA, condo agreement or lease still bar short-term rentals? | Yes: chapter 64G gives no right to offer a residential unit as a short-term rental where a homeowner's association agreement or requirements, a rental agreement or any other restriction, covenant or enforceable agreement prohibits it [4] Clause Section 15 of chapter 64G, as enacted by chapter 337 of the Acts of 2018, says nothing in the chapter confers a right to lease, sublease or otherwise offer a residential unit as a short-term rental where that use is prohibited by a homeowner's association agreement or requirements, a rental agreement or any other restriction, covenant, requirement or enforceable agreement. Section 16 adds that for residential units subject to rent control, operators of short-term rentals shall charge not more than the prorated maximum amount allowed. |
| Can booking platforms collect and remit the state excise for hosts? | Yes, if the operator chooses it in a written agreement: the platform (an intermediary) then collects the rent, reports and remits the excise and must register in the operator's name [4] [5] Clause 1 Clause 2 Section 13(a) of chapter 64G, as enacted by chapter 337 of the Acts of 2018, lets an operator elect, by written agreement, to allow an intermediary to collect rent or facilitate its collection or payment. The chapter defines an intermediary to include a hosting platform and an operator's agent. An intermediary with such an agreement must apply for and obtain a certificate of registration from the commissioner on the operator's behalf, assess, collect, report and remit the excise, remit any community impact fee to the municipality, keep records, and make sure the operator is registered before allowing the operator to list a rental through it. The certificate must be in the name of the individual operator, not the intermediary. Check with the platform and the Department of Revenue to confirm whether a platform collects the excise for you. |
Changes
Recent and pending changes
We reviewed Chapter 8.09 (Secs. 8.09.010 to 8.09.080) of the Revised Ordinances of the City of Revere on eCode360 on October 19, 2026; the code page says it includes legislation through C.O. 26-155 adopted August 10, 2026, and the chapter's last history note is C.O. 24-176 (9/9/2024). We haven't reviewed the zoning ordinance (Title 17), the fee schedule (Appendix A), the local excise votes or the City Council agendas yet.
Sources
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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.