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

Duxbury, Plymouth County · Bylaws checked 2026-10-03 · Reviewed · 5 cited sections

Allowed

Duxbury has no local short-term rental bylaw, license or registration in the documents we reviewed, so renting a typical single-family home is governed mainly by state rules. One big exception: if your lot has an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), neither the ADU nor the main house may be rented for less than 31 days.

Lots with an ADURentals must be 31 days or more; short-term rentals prohibited for ADU and main house [1]
Advertising under 31 days (ADU lots)Conclusive evidence of a violation [1]
Bed and breakfastSpecial permit from Board of Appeals; operator must live there; up to 4 guest units [3]

These rules come from Duxbury's zoning bylaw as compiled through the June 2025 Special Town Meeting; later Town Meetings may have changed them.

No general STR bylaw

Neither Duxbury's Protective (Zoning) Bylaw nor its General By-laws (revised October 2025) set up a short-term rental license, registration, fee, cap or minimum stay for ordinary homes. If you rent out a single-family home that has no ADU, the local documents we reviewed don't add rules beyond the state's (shown separately on this page).

Homes with an ADU

The ADU section of the zoning bylaw is the one place Duxbury addresses short-term rentals directly. On a lot with a protected-use ADU, if either the ADU or the main house is rented, the minimum term is 31 days. Short-term rentals as defined in state law (M.G.L. c. 64G) are prohibited, and any advertisement for a stay under 31 days is conclusive evidence of a violation [1]. That means a homeowner who adds an ADU gives up Airbnb-style rentals of both units.

Bed and breakfast

Renting rooms in a house you live in as a bed and breakfast needs a special permit from the Board of Appeals. It must stay within the existing footprint of an existing single-family home, and the operator must live there [3]. The bylaw defines a bed and breakfast as having no more than four guest units [4].

A gray area

Duxbury's zoning is permissive: any use not specifically permitted is deemed prohibited [5]. The bylaw's definition of "dwelling" excludes structures used solely by transient or overnight occupants [2]. Nothing in the documents we have applies either provision to short-term rentals, but a house run purely as a vacation rental could be questioned under them. Ask the Building Commissioner if you plan to rent full-time.

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

Next steps

  1. Register with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (MassTaxConnect) and get a certificate of registration for the property before listing it.
  2. If your property has an ADU, rent only for terms of 31 days or more and don't advertise shorter stays.
  3. If you plan to rent rooms in your own home, ask the Building Department about a bed-and-breakfast special permit from the Board of Appeals.
  4. Confirm with the Building Commissioner (781-934-1100 ext. 5481) that no new short-term rental rule has been adopted.

Common questions

Is Airbnb allowed in Duxbury, Massachusetts?
Duxbury has no local short-term rental bylaw, license or registration in the documents reviewed, so renting a typical single-family home is governed mainly by state rules. Confirm with the Building Commissioner that no new rule has been adopted.
Are short-term rentals allowed if I have an ADU in Duxbury, Massachusetts?
No. If your lot has an accessory dwelling unit, neither the ADU nor the main house may be rented for less than 31 days.
Can I run a bed and breakfast in Duxbury, Massachusetts?
With a special permit from the Board of Appeals. The operator must live there, with up to 4 guest units.

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 Duxbury's published bylaws. Section numbers are as printed in the source.

  1. Sec. 410.6(7), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 57
    7. Minimal Rental Period: Where the ADU or the Principal Dwelling is occupied as a rental unit, the minimum occupancy or rental term shall be 31 or more days and Short Term Rentals as defined by G.L. 64G shall be prohibited. Advertisement of any form for less than 31 days shall be conclusive evidence of a violation of this sub-section.
  2. Sec. 302 (Definitions, Dwelling), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 14
    A building, or portion thereof, designed exclusively for residential occupancy, including single-family, two-family, and multiple family dwellings, but not including hotels, motels, boarding houses, trailers, or structures solely for the use of transient or overnight occupants.
  3. Sec. 410.3(8), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 52
    8. Bed and Breakfast within existing footprint of an existing single-family dwelling, in which the operator resides.
  4. Sec. 302 (Definitions, Bed and Breakfast), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 11
    A structure originally built as a dwelling, in which the operator resides, and not more than four guest units are offered for overnight lodging with or without meals.
  5. Sec. 401.4(3), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 23
    3. A building, use or structure not specifically permitted shall be deemed prohibited.
This page summarizes Duxbury's posted bylaws as of 2026-10-03. Bylaws are amended, and individual lots can have overlays, subdivision covenants, or HOA rules that are stricter. Confirm with Building Department (Building Commissioner / Director of Municipal Services) (781-934-1100 ext. 6002 (Building Dept); ext. 5481 (Building Commissioner)) before you build. Spot an error?