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Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in Bourne, Massachusetts

Bourne, Barnstable County · Bylaws checked 2026-10-20 · Reviewed · 10 cited sections

Allowed with a permit

Generally yes. Bourne has no short-term rental bylaw, registration program or cap, but the Building Department must inspect most short-term rentals under the state building code: every 5 years if the owner doesn't mainly live there, or every year for an owner-occupied home that counts as a lodging house. A home with an accessory dwelling unit can't be rented short-term at all, and neither can the ADU.

Town STR license or registrationNone found in Bourne's bylaws; Building Department inspection program only [1]
Non-owner-occupied STR inspectionAt least once every 5 years [2]
Owner-occupied lodging house used as STRInspected annually [3]
Owner-occupied STR that is not a lodging houseNot subject to periodic inspection [4]
What counts as "short term"30 days or less [5]
Homes with an ADUNo short-term rental of the ADU or the main house [7]
Minimum rental for homes with an ADU90 days (posted bylaw: ADU and main house; May 2026 amendment: the ADU) [8]

No town STR bylaw

We found no short-term rental bylaw, local registration or license, cap on units, or Board of Health short-term rental rule in Bourne's general bylaws, zoning bylaw or Board of Health regulations. We also could not confirm whether Bourne has adopted the local room occupancy excise or the short-term rental community impact fee, so ask the Town or check with the state Department of Revenue. State registration and tax rules (shown separately on this page) still apply.

Building Department inspections

The Building Department runs a short-term rental inspection program required by the 10th Edition state building code [1]:

  • Not primarily owner-occupied one- or two-family homes used as short-term rentals must be inspected at least once every five years [2].
  • Primarily owner-occupied homes that meet the code's "lodging house" definition are inspected every year [3].
  • A primarily owner-occupied home that is not a lodging house is not subject to periodic inspection [4].

"Primarily owner occupied" means the owner lives there longer than the home is rented [10]. The Building Department page says "short term" means 30 days or less [5]; the state tax law shown separately uses 31 days or less. You apply for the inspection through the town's OpenGov e-permitting system, and you must request the next inspection before your current Certificate of Inspection expires [6].

Homes with an accessory dwelling unit

If your lot has an ADU approved under zoning §4120, the posted bylaw says neither the ADU nor the main house may be used for short-term rental, summer rental, or boarding and lodging [7], and both may only be rented for 90 days or more at a time, with no weekly or daily rentals [8]. The May 4, 2026 Town Meeting amendment (Attorney General approval not confirmed) keeps the short-term rental ban for both units but strikes the words "summer rental", and its 90-day minimum names only the ADU [9]. Ask the Building Department which version it applies.

Hotels and guest cabins

The Board of Health licenses hotels, motels and guest cabins separately. Those rules apply to licensed lodging businesses, not to renting out an ordinary private home.

See how Bourne compares with 8+ other Massachusetts towns on short-term rentals (airbnb / vrbo) →

Next steps

  1. Decide whether you'll be 'primarily owner occupied' (living there more days than it's rented) and whether your home counts as a lodging house under the building code, since that determines the inspection schedule.
  2. Apply for the Short Term Rental Inspection (Owner Occupied or Non-Owner Occupied) through Bourne's OpenGov e-permitting portal, and request each renewal inspection before your Certificate of Inspection expires.
  3. If your lot has an accessory dwelling unit, don't list the ADU or the main house as a short-term rental, and don't rent the ADU for less than 90 days at a time.
  4. Register with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and ask the Town whether any local room tax or impact fee applies.

Common questions

Does Bourne, Massachusetts have a short-term rental bylaw?
No. Bourne has no short-term rental bylaw, registration program or cap. The Building Department does inspect most short-term rentals under the state building code, and state registration and tax rules still apply. We couldn't confirm whether Bourne has adopted the local room occupancy excise or community impact fee.
Do I need an inspection to run an Airbnb in Bourne, MA?
Usually. A one- or two-family home that isn't mainly owner-occupied must be inspected at least once every 5 years. An owner-occupied home that counts as a lodging house is inspected every year. An owner-occupied home that isn't a lodging house isn't subject to periodic inspection.
What counts as a short-term rental in Bourne, Massachusetts?
The Building Department page says "short term" means 30 days or less. The state tax law uses 31 days or less.
Can I rent my house short-term if it has an ADU in Bourne, Massachusetts?
No. If your lot has an ADU, neither the ADU nor the main house may be used as a short-term rental. The posted bylaw also requires both to be rented for at least 90 days; the May 2026 amendment, whose Attorney General approval isn't confirmed, applies the 90-day minimum only to the ADU.

Massachusetts' short-term rental law

Since July 1, 2019, M.G.L. c. 64G has taxed and regulated short-term rentals: stays of 31 days or less in a home, apartment, condo or room booked in advance.

State requirements:

  • Register with the Department of Revenue (DOR) on MassTaxConnect and get a Certificate of Registration for each property. Post it in the unit.
  • 14-day exemption: if you rent a property 14 days or fewer in a calendar year, no tax is due. You still have to register and file DOR's declaration by January 15 each year. Go over 14 days and you owe tax on every day, including the first 14.
  • State room occupancy excise: 5.7% of rent (including cleaning and booking fees).
  • Local taxes on top, if your town has adopted them: a local excise of up to 6% (6.5% in Boston), and a community impact fee of up to 3%. The fee applies to "professionally managed" units (an operator with 2 or more units in a town, other than units in the owner's own 1 to 3 family home) and, by separate vote, to units in an owner-occupied 2 or 3 family house. Barnstable County towns add 2.75% for a regional water fund.
  • Insurance: at least $1 million liability coverage per unit, unless the booking platform provides equal coverage (c. 175, §4F).

Towns may go further (c. 64G, §14). They can require local licenses and inspections, cap the number of days or units, limit where rentals are allowed, or ban them entirely.

State sources: M.G.L. c. 64G, §1 (definitions) · M.G.L. c. 64G, §3 (state excise; 14-day exemption) · M.G.L. c. 64G, §3A (local excise) · M.G.L. c. 64G, §3D (community impact fees) · M.G.L. c. 64G, §14 (local regulation) · M.G.L. c. 175, §4F (STR liability insurance) · DOR, Room Occupancy Excise Tax (updated Apr 8, 2026)

What the bylaw says

Exact text from Bourne's published bylaws. Section numbers are as printed in the source.

  1. Short Term Rental Inspections, Building Department - Short Term Rental Inspections (780 CMR 10th edition periodic inspections), p. 1
    The 10th Edition Building Code 780 CMR now requires the Building Department to conduct periodic inspections of certain rental situations.
  2. Short Term Rental Inspections, Building Department - Short Term Rental Inspections (780 CMR 10th edition periodic inspections), p. 1
    Periodic Inspections of NON-Primarily Owner Occupied One and/or Two Family Dwellings meeting the 780 CMR Chapter 2 definition of a "short term rental" shall be inspected at least once every five years.
  3. Short Term Rental Inspections, Building Department - Short Term Rental Inspections (780 CMR 10th edition periodic inspections), p. 1
    Primarily owner occupied One and/or Two Family Dwellings meeting the 780 CMR Chapter 2 definition of "Lodging House" used as "short term rentals" shall be inspected annually.
  4. Short Term Rental Inspections, Building Department - Short Term Rental Inspections (780 CMR 10th edition periodic inspections), p. 1
    Note: A primarily owner occupied one- and/or two-family dwelling used for short term rentals that is not a lodging house is NOT subject to periodic inspection.
  5. Short Term Rental Inspections - What is considered "short term?", Building Department - Short Term Rental Inspections (780 CMR 10th edition periodic inspections), p. 1
    What is considered "short term?" 30 days or less.
  6. Short Term Rental Inspections, Building Department - Short Term Rental Inspections (780 CMR 10th edition periodic inspections), p. 1
    Owners shall be responsible for requesting the periodic inspection prior to the expiration of the current Certificate of Inspection.
  7. §4122(b), Town of Bourne Zoning Bylaw ('2025 Zoning Bylaw', as most recently amended at the Special Town Meeting October 20, 2025), p. 156
    b) An accessory dwelling and primary dwelling authorized under these provisions shall not be used for short-term rental, summer rental, boarding and lodging, or other commercial use except for a home occupation according to Section 4110.
  8. §4122(c), Town of Bourne Zoning Bylaw ('2025 Zoning Bylaw', as most recently amended at the Special Town Meeting October 20, 2025), p. 156
    c) The ADU and primary dwelling may not be rented for periods shorter than 90 days at a time and are prohibited from any use as rental units on a weekly or daily basis.
  9. May 4, 2026 ATM Article 28, §4122(b) as amended (the words 'and primary dwelling' after 'The ADU' are struck through, so the 90-day rule names only the ADU), Annual Town Meeting May 4, 2026 - Voter Handbook (Article 28: Zoning Bylaw Amendment - Accessory Dwelling Units; Article 29 downtown front setbacks), p. 57
    may not be rented for periods shorter than 90 days at a time and are prohibited from any use as rental units on a weekly or daily basis.
  10. Short Term Rental Inspections - What does "primarily owner occupied" mean?, Building Department - Short Term Rental Inspections (780 CMR 10th edition periodic inspections), p. 1
    The property owner lives at the property for an amount of time greater than the time the dwelling is being rented.
This page summarizes Bourne's posted bylaws as of 2026-10-20. Bylaws are amended, and individual lots can have overlays, subdivision covenants, or HOA rules that are stricter. Confirm with Building & Inspection Department (also the Zoning Enforcement Office; Building Commissioner/Chief Zoning Enforcement Officer), Bourne Town Hall Room 203, 24 Perry Avenue, Buzzards Bay MA 02532; complaints via the OpenGov portal; Conservation office 508-759-0600 ext. 1344; Health Department via https://www.bourne-ma.gov/1928/Health-Department (508-759-0600 ext. 1512) before you build. Spot an error?