Gloucester Short Term Rental Regulation update
On April 1st, Gloucester passed a new short-term rental ordinance regulating and limiting the number of STR nights a property can be rented for. A short-term rental is any property rental with less than 30 consecutive days. Initially, the ordinance was for all short-term rentals registered with the MA DOR. A recent update made it so any rental with a DOR Certificate of registration effective before 4//1/25 would be excluded from the ordinance. This update means any house with a DOR Cert dated before March 1st would be broadly grandfathered in, and the cap on rentable days would not apply to these properties. This is big news for Gloucester Vacation rental owners!
What do you do if you registered your Vacation Rental Home after 4/1/2025?
If your rental was registered after this date, you will be subject to a cap on the number of days, depending on whether the house is a primary residence. Check Gloucester’s website FAQ for more information on this ordinance.
Key points of Gloucester's Short-Term Rental Ordinance
Short-Term Rental (STR): A property or unit rented for 30 consecutive days or less. This includes owner-occupied and non-owner-occupied properties such as apartments, houses, cottages, and condominiums. Hotels, motels, lodging houses, and bed and breakfast establishments are excluded. Gloucester, MA If your rental is for more than 30 days, it is not considered a STR or counts towards your allotted STR days
Primary Residence: A residential unit where the operator resides for at least six months within a 12-month period. Only natural persons can establish primary residency; for-profit corporations are excluded. Gloucester, MA
Annual Registration: All STR operators must register annually with Gloucester's Inspectional Services Department. Gloucester Tourism Advocacy Group+1Gloucester, MA+1
Permit Fees:
Owner-Occupied Units: $100 per year.
Primary Residences (owner lives there at least six months/year): $150 per year.
Non-Owner-Occupied Units: $300 per year.
Permit Cap: The number of non-owner-occupied STR permits is capped at 500 citywide. Gloucester, MA+2North Shore Realtors+2Gloucester, MA+2
Owner-Occupied Units: May be rented year-round with no STR cap
Primary Residences: Up to 180 days per year
Non-Owner-Occupied Units: Up to 120 days per year unless you obtained a MA DOR Occupancy Certificate prior to 4/1/25
Guest Limit: Maximum of two guests per bedroom, plus two additional guests per unit. Gloucester Tourism Advocacy Group+1North Shore Realtors+1
Operator Limit: An operator may register only one non-primary dwelling unit as an STR. Gloucester, MA+5Gloucester, MA+5Gloucester Tourism Advocacy Group+5
Gloucester STR Compliance Requirements
Information Binder: Each STR must have a guest binder containing:
Local contact details (operator and a 24-hour contact).
Trash and recycling schedules.
Parking regulations.
City ordinances on noise and animal control.
Locations of gas shutoff valves, fire exits, alarms, and extinguishers. Hostfully+3Gloucester, MA+3Gloucester Tourism Advocacy Group+3
Safety Standards: STRs must comply with state and local building, fire, and health codes, including:
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Two egress doors per unit.
Clear egress pathways.
Emergency escape openings in sleeping rooms.
Proper lighting in common areas. Gloucester, MA
Sanitation: Units must be clean, sanitary, and free of infestations, with at least one working bathroom and adequate hot and cold water. Gloucester, MA
Do you own an Airbnb or VRBO in Gloucester that you are renting or planning to rent as a short-term rental? Call us to chat about our management services or any questions you may have about the Gloucester Short Term Rental Ordinance.
