City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Falmouth, MA
How Falmouth regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here are subject to registration, a lodging tax, or a small number of operating rules.
- General rental registration
Based on: Falmouth Code Chapter 172 Rental Property (general habitation-rental occupancy registration; adopted STM 6-3-1975
Summary of the rule
As of 2026-09-14 Falmouth's codified code (eCode360 FA1385, legislation through 11-17-2025) contains no in-force short-term-rental-specific licensing, registration, cap, primary-residence, or zoning-exclusion device. The only in-force local rental device reaching STRs is Chapter 172 (Rental Property, adopted 1975, amended 1994): any owner offering a building for habitation rental must first register with the Health Agent to set occupancy limits (§172-1) and post a certificate of registration (§172-4); $300 fine for failure to register (§172-2). This is a general all-rentals occupancy-registration bylaw, not STR-specific. STR of a dwelling is otherwise permitted residential use townwide.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Regulatory change ahead
Article 17, adopted as amended by majority vote at the April 7, 2026 Annual Town Meeting, limits short-term rental ownership to three per individual. It takes effect January 1, 2027. Source ↗
Article 17 establishes a short-term rental bylaw administered with the Board of Health that limits certain corporate ownership; Town Meeting adopted it as amended on April 7, 2026, effective January 1, 2027. Source ↗
Reported as fact only, reflecting the code as currently in effect — not legal advice, and not a prediction of the outcome. Verify current status before relying on it.
Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Falmouth · 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.