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

Natick, Middlesex County · Bylaws checked 2026-10-19 · Reviewed · 7 cited sections

Restricted

If your lot has an ADU, Natick's zoning explicitly bans short-term rentals (stays under 31 days) of both the ADU and the main house. For other homes, the bylaw defines short-term rentals but doesn't list them as an allowed use anywhere, and it prohibits any use it doesn't list. Our reading is that whole-home Airbnb-style rentals aren't allowed, but confirm with the Building Commissioner. The licensed alternatives are a Bed and Breakfast Home or Establishment, which need a special permit.

What counts as a short-term rentalRenting a dwelling unit or a bedroom for less than 31 consecutive days (not a B&B, boarding house, hotel or motel) [1]
Homes with an ADUNeither the main house nor the ADU may be used as a short-term rental [2]
Uses not listed in the bylawProhibited; short-term rental does not appear in the Use Regulation Schedule [3]
Bed and Breakfast HomeOwner-occupied home deemed historic, 3 or fewer bedrooms let overnight [4]
Bed and Breakfast EstablishmentOwner-occupied, at least 4 rooms let, breakfast included [6]
B&B districts (residential)B&B Home: special permit in RG, RM, RS. B&B Establishment: special permit in RG; not allowed in RM or RS [5]
Who grants the special permitPlanning Board [7]
Local registration or licenseNone found in the bylaws and regulations we reviewed [3]

What Natick calls a short-term rental

Natick's zoning bylaw (Sec. 200, added in 2024) defines a short-term rental as renting a dwelling unit, or a bedroom in one, for less than 31 consecutive days. Bed and breakfasts, boarding houses, hotels and motels don't count [1].

Lots with an ADU: explicitly banned

Under the ADU section (Sec. III-M), neither the main house nor the ADU may be used as a short-term rental [2]. The ADU Rules and Regulations repeat this rule. State law lets towns ban short-term rentals of ADUs.

Other homes: our reading

No provision we found says short-term rentals are allowed in any district. The bylaw says any use not specifically listed or otherwise permitted in a district is prohibited [3]. Short-term rental is defined but doesn't appear in the Use Regulation Schedule. The bylaw also defines a "Dwelling Unit" as primarily long-term in nature. Our reading is that renting a house for stays under 31 days isn't a permitted use. That is an inference: no section says so in those words for homes without an ADU. Ask the Building Commissioner before you list.

The B&B route

The Use Regulation Schedule lists two lodging uses that can operate in homes:

  • Bed and Breakfast Home: a private, owner-occupied home deemed historic by the Historical Commission, letting 3 or fewer bedrooms with breakfast [4]. It needs a special permit in the RG, RM and RS districts [5].
  • Bed and Breakfast Establishment: owner-occupied, 4 or more rooms, breakfast included. It needs a special permit in RG and isn't allowed in RM or RS [6][5].

Special permits in these districts come from the Planning Board [7].

Registration

We found no local short-term rental registration, license or fee in the zoning bylaw, general bylaws or Board of Health regulations we reviewed. The Board of Health's hotel/motel regulation covers only hotels and motels. State registration and tax rules still apply (see the state section).

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

Next steps

  1. Ask the Building Commissioner / Chief Zoning Officer (Building Department, 508-647-6450) how Natick treats your specific rental plan before you list it.
  2. If you want to host overnight guests in your own home, ask whether it qualifies as a Bed and Breakfast Home (historic, owner-occupied, up to 3 bedrooms) and apply to the Planning Board for the special permit.
  3. If you rent for 31 days or more, it isn't a short-term rental under Natick's zoning definition. State tax rules still treat stays of 31 days or less as short-term rentals (see the state section).

Common questions

Are short-term rentals allowed in Natick, Massachusetts?
It depends. If your lot has an ADU, zoning explicitly bans short-term rentals of both the ADU and the main house. For other homes, short-term rental isn't a listed use and unlisted uses are prohibited, so our reading is that whole-home rentals aren't allowed. Confirm with the Building Commissioner.
What counts as a short-term rental in Natick, MA?
Natick's zoning defines a short-term rental as renting a dwelling unit, or a bedroom in one, for less than 31 consecutive days. Bed and breakfasts, boarding houses, hotels and motels don't count.
Can I run a bed and breakfast in Natick, Massachusetts?
Possibly, with a Planning Board special permit. A Bed and Breakfast Home (owner-occupied, deemed historic, 3 or fewer bedrooms) needs a special permit in RG, RM and RS. A Bed and Breakfast Establishment needs one in RG and isn't allowed in RM or RS.
Does Natick, Massachusetts require a short-term rental registration?
We found no local short-term rental registration, license or fee in the bylaws and regulations reviewed. State registration and tax rules still apply.

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

  1. Sec. 200 Definitions, Short-term Rental, Zoning Bylaws (June 2026 edition, includes amendments through 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting), p. 33
    Short-term Rental: Any rental of a Residential Dwelling Unit, or of a bedroom within a Residential Dwelling, in exchange for payment, as residential accommodations for a duration of less than thirty-one (31) consecutive days, but not a Bed and Breakfast Establishment, Bed and Breakfast Home, Boarding House, Hotel, or Motel.
  2. Sec. III-M.3.b, Zoning Bylaws (June 2026 edition, includes amendments through 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting), p. 119
    b. Neither the Principal Residential Dwelling nor the ADU shall be used as a Short-term Rental.
  3. Sec. 101 Basic Requirements, Zoning Bylaws (June 2026 edition, includes amendments through 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting), p. 7
    Any use not specifically listed or otherwise permitted in a district herein established shall be deemed prohibited except family fallout shelters as defined in Section 0.2 of the Building Code.
  4. Sec. 200 Definitions, Bed and Breakfast Home, Zoning Bylaws (June 2026 edition, includes amendments through 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting), p. 13
    Bed and Breakfast Home: A private owner-occupied residential dwelling that has been deemed historic by the Historical Commission or a Historical District Commission, as that term is defined in MGL c. 64G, where three (3) or fewer bedrooms are let overnight and a breakfast is included in the rent, as an accessory use.
  5. III-A.2 Use Regulation Schedule, C2-C3, Zoning Bylaws (June 2026 edition, includes amendments through 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting), p. 49
    C2. Bed and Breakfast Establishment SP N N N N SP C3. Bed and Breakfast Home SP SP SP N N SP
  6. Sec. 200 Definitions, Bed and Breakfast Establishment, Zoning Bylaws (June 2026 edition, includes amendments through 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting), p. 13
    Bed and Breakfast Establishment: A private owner-occupied structure where not less than four (4) rooms are let, a breakfast is included in the rent and all accommodations are reserved in advance, as the term is defined in MGL c. 64G.
  7. Sec. VI-DD.1.a, Zoning Bylaws (June 2026 edition, includes amendments through 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting), p. 201
    i. The Planning Board shall be the SPGA in all Zoning Districts and Overlay Districts, except in the Limited Commercial (LC) Zoning District.
This page summarizes Natick's posted bylaws as of 2026-10-19. Bylaws are amended, and individual lots can have overlays, subdivision covenants, or HOA rules that are stricter. Confirm with Building Department, Community & Economic Development (Building Commissioner / Chief Zoning Officer David G. Gusmini), Town Hall 2nd Floor, 13 East Central Street, Natick MA 01760 (508-647-6450) before you build. Spot an error?