Boston Airbnb Regulations
Regulations
To be eligible to be a short-term rental the property must be classified for residential use.
Things the property can not be:
- Hotels
- Motels
- Executive suites
- Congregate living complex
- Elderly housing
- Group residence
- Homeless shelter
- Orphanage
- Temporary dwelling structure
- Transitional housing
The Property being rented out must not have more than 3 violations within 6-months.
These violations can include:
- Short-term Rental ordinance
- Excessive noise
- Improper disposal of trash
- Disorderly conduct
Plus, there can't be any outstanding violations on the property. The property can't be a "Problem Property", as stated by the City of Boston Ordinances.
Things the host is responsible for having:
- The registration number (given by Inspectional Services) should be displayed on every listing
- business certification
- Renew short-term rental license yearly
- Signage with fire extinguishers, fire exits, and pull fire alarms
- Not renting to multiple parties for a given time
- Notify neighbors about the property being registered as a short-term rental within 30 days after obtaining the license
Properties have to be registered even when:
- The property is vacant
- The property is being renovated
- Tenants are relatives who are 18+ years
- No rent is collected
The property doesn't have to be registered if: Owned by a city, state, or federal agency, Rooming house, Dorm, Lodging house. For more information visit the City of Boston Website
Licenses
The deadline to register a short-term rental by is July 1st.
Login to the Rental Registration Portal and provide the follow information:
- Property owner contact information
- Contact information for the property manager (if applicable)
- Numbers of properties being register
- Total number of units at property (if applicable)
- Purchase date of property (if bought after Jan 1st, 2013)
- If the property was built before or after 1978
- The fire escapes for the building (if applicable)
- The smoking policy.
For more information visit the City of Boston website about registering the short-term rental
Fines And Fees
To register the property the fees are:
- 25$ for first-time registration of the property
- $15 for renewal of the license.
No more than $2,500 for each building or $5,000 for each complex. If the short-term rental violates one of the laws created by the City of Boston, the short-term rental license will be suspended.