City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Scituate, MA
How Scituate 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.
- No town-wide STR registration or permit process in force (Scituate relies on the state DOR rooms-tax rail)
- Whole-home / traditional short-term rentals operate as a permitted residential use
- 2025 ADU zoning bylaw prohibits STR use of Accessory Dwelling Units only — a narrow new-unit-type carve-out, not a whole-home supply device
Based on: Town of Scituate Zoning Bylaw (Accessory Dwelling Unit provisions, rev. 12/11/2024, approved 4/14/2025 ATM); Code of
Summary of the rule
Scituate Zoning Bylaw defines 'short-term rental unit' and prohibits an ADU from being used as one; enforced by a recorded restrictive covenant. Applied in the town's Planning Board ADU Site Plan decisions (e.g. 8-18-25, 10-15-25, 1-27-26, 4-14-26) and minutes (3-26-26, 5-14-26, 7-9-26).
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 9, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Scituate · 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.