City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Eastham, MA
How Eastham 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.
- Per-person or per-parcel limit
- Registration required
- Inspection required
Based on: Town Code Ch.116 (Rentals, Short-Term); Rental Certificate Program (Board of Health)
Summary of the rule
Eastham Code Ch. 116 (Rentals, Short-Term) Art. I, adopted 5-4-2024 ATM Art.5D, effective 1-1-2025: §116-3B "An owner may register to operate only two dwelling units as short-term rentals" (cottage colonies under single ownership exempt); a person owning/managing/agenting 3+ dwelling units must choose only two to register; "No person shall have more than two... beneficial interest in dwelling units used for short-term rentals." §116-3C prohibits STRs in corporation-owned units (LLC/trust/S-corp only if every member is a natural person); §116-3E bars fractional/timeshare units. This is an in-force per-owner license limit that constrains supply — a genuine supply device.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 9, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Eastham · system last checked Oct 25, 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.