City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Boston, MA
How Boston regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- Primary-residence required
- Registration required
- Active enforcement
Based on: City of Boston Code, Ordinances Ch. VIII (An Ordinance Allowing Short-Term Residential Rentals in the City of Boston
Summary of the rule
CBC 9-14.2 defines OPERATOR as 'A natural person who is the owner of the residential unit that he or she seeks to offer as a short-term rental,' and every eligible unit type is tethered to that owner-operator's primary residence: HOME SHARE UNIT = 'a residential unit offered as a short-term rental that is the operator's primary residence'; LIMITED SHARE UNIT = 'a residential unit that is the operator's primary residence, a portion of which is offered...while the operator is present'; OWNER-ADJACENT UNIT = 'not the owner's primary residence but...located within the same dwelling as the primary residence of, and is owned by, said owner...only allowed in two-family or three-family dwellings where all units are owned by the same unique owner-occupant who serves as the operator.' PRIMARY RESIDENCE = operator resides >=9 of 12 months. Consequently non-owner-occupied / investor units have no lawful OPERATOR and cannot be registered — a primary-residence supply device.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 9, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Boston · system last checked Oct 13, 2026
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City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.