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

Sandwich, Barnstable County · Bylaws checked 2026-10-20 · Reviewed · 13 cited sections

Allowed with a permit

Yes, but every short-term rental in Sandwich has to be registered with the Building Department and pass an inspection every year. The first year costs $250 ($150 registration plus $100 inspection), stays must be at least 2 nights, and ADUs, accessory apartments and income-restricted homes can't be rented short-term.

What counts as an STRRental of a room or unit for 2-30 consecutive days, booked in advance [1]
Registration and inspectionRequired every year through the Building Department [3]
Fee$150 annual registration + $100 inspection; $50 per re-inspection [9]
Minimum stay2 consecutive nights [5]
Not eligibleAccessory apartments, ADUs, income-restricted units, homes with open code violations [2]
Posted certificateDisplayed on the property with a 24-hour local contact [4]
Fines$100 / $200 / $300 per offense; each day is a separate offense [7]
Local room occupancy excise6% [12]

The rules (General Bylaw Chapter 12)

Town Meeting adopted Chapter 12, Short Term Rentals, on November 17, 2025, and it is printed in the Town Clerk's May 2026 bylaws. A short-term rental is any owner-occupied, tenant-occupied or non-owner-occupied home, apartment or room rented for 2-30 consecutive days, booked in advance [1]. There is no owner-occupancy requirement and no cap on the number of rentals. Accessory apartments, ADUs, income-restricted homes and homes with outstanding building, health, zoning or fire violations can't be STRs [2].

Registration and inspection

Every STR must be registered and inspected every year by the Building Department, with occupancy limits set by the inspection [3]. The certificate goes to the operator, not the property, so a new owner must reapply. It has to be posted on the property with a 24-hour local contact [4]. You register online in Permit Eyes and attach a floor plan; the town page says registration has been required since January 1, 2025 [8]. The fee is $150 for registration plus $100 for the inspection, and $50 for each re-inspection [9]. Inspections are scheduled by phone only, on Mondays and Tuesdays, and someone must be present [10].

Operating rules

  • Minimum stay of 2 consecutive nights [5].
  • Trash removed at least weekly and secured overnight [6].
  • Smoke, CO and heat detectors meeting the state building code.
  • Residential use only: no events with tents or amplified music, and no RVs, campers or sleeping tents.

The registration web page still defines an STR as 1-30 days, but Chapter 12 (2-30 days, 2-night minimum) is the bylaw and controls.

Separately, under zoning Section 2560 (May 2025), a house built on certain small adjacent lots under common ownership carries a recorded deed restriction against short-term rental use [13]. Check your deed.

Enforcement and taxes

The Building Commissioner enforces the bylaw. Fines are $100, $200 and $300 per offense, and each day counts separately [7]. The Commissioner can suspend or revoke a certificate, and after a hearing the Board of Health can bar a repeat violator for up to 3 years. Sandwich's local room occupancy excise is 6% [12], on top of state tax.

Possible changes

The town is running a short-term rental survey (Sept. 8-Oct. 30, 2026) to inform future policy [11]. It is only a survey: no draft bylaw has been posted, and the current rules still apply.

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

Next steps

  1. Confirm your unit is eligible: it can't be an ADU, accessory apartment or income-restricted unit, and must have no open code violations.
  2. Create a Permit Eyes account and submit the 'Application To Registration for COI (Short Term Rentals)' with a floor plan of every rented floor, labeling rooms and exits.
  3. Pay the $250 first-year fee ($150 registration + $100 inspection) in Permit Eyes, then call the Building Department at 508-888-4200 to schedule the inspection.
  4. Post the Certificate of Inspection on the property with a 24-hour local contact, and renew it every year.
  5. Register with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue for room occupancy excise (including Sandwich's 6% local excise).

Common questions

Are short-term rentals allowed in Sandwich, MA?
Yes, but every short-term rental in Sandwich must be registered with the Building Department and pass an inspection every year under general bylaw Chapter 12. Stays must be at least 2 nights. ADUs, accessory apartments and income-restricted homes can't be rented short-term.
How do I register a short term rental in Sandwich, MA?
Submit the 'Application To Registration for COI (Short Term Rentals)' in Permit Eyes with a floor plan of every rented floor. Pay the $250 first-year fee ($150 registration plus $100 inspection), schedule the inspection by phone, and post the Certificate of Inspection with a 24-hour local contact. Renew it every year.
What is the minimum stay for a short-term rental in Sandwich, Massachusetts?
Two consecutive nights. Sandwich's Chapter 12 bylaw defines a short-term rental as 2-30 consecutive days and bans renting for less than two nights. The town's registration web page still says 1-30 days, but the bylaw controls.
What are the fines for an unregistered short-term rental in Sandwich, MA?
Under Chapter 12, fines are $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second and $300 for later offenses, and each day counts as a separate offense. The Building Commissioner can also suspend or revoke a rental certificate.
Is Sandwich, Massachusetts changing its short-term rental rules?
Not yet. The town ran a short-term rental survey (Sept. 8-Oct. 30, 2026) to inform future policy, but no draft bylaw has been posted, so the current Chapter 12 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 Sandwich's published bylaws. Section numbers are as printed in the source.

  1. Ch. 12, Section 12.01 Definitions, Town of Sandwich Town Bylaws (Town Clerk edition dated May 4, 2026), p. 81
    SHORT-TERM RENTALS (STR) - defined as owner-occupied, tenant-occupied or non- owner-occupied property including, but not limited to, an apartment, house, cottage, condominium or a furnished accommodation that is not a hotel, motel, boarding or lodging house, or guesthouse, inn or bed and breakfast establishment, where at least one room or unit is rented to an occupant or occupants for 2-30 consecutive days at a time; and all accommodations are reserved in advance.
  2. Ch. 12, Section 12.03 Ineligible Units, Town of Sandwich Town Bylaws (Town Clerk edition dated May 4, 2026), p. 81
    The following are not eligible to be rented as STRs. 1) Dwellings designated as income restricted or are subject to affordability covenants. 2) Accessory apartments and Accessory Dwelling Units
  3. Ch. 12, Section 12.04(1) Registration & Inspections, Town of Sandwich Town Bylaws (Town Clerk edition dated May 4, 2026), p. 81
    All short-term rentals shall be registered and inspected annually through the Sandwich Building Department in accordance with Table 110 Section 110.7 Periodic Inspections 780 CMR and shall adhere to all their health and safety requirements, including occupancy limitations based on inspections.
  4. Ch. 12, Section 12.04(3), Town of Sandwich Town Bylaws (Town Clerk edition dated May 4, 2026), p. 81
    Rental certificates shall be displayed on the property in a prominent location and shall include 24-hour local contact information; name and telephone number.
  5. Ch. 12, Section 12.05(2) Duration, Town of Sandwich Town Bylaws (Town Clerk edition dated May 4, 2026), p. 82
    Duration: Renting for less than two (2) consecutive nights is prohibited
  6. Ch. 12, Section 12.05(1) Trash Removal, Town of Sandwich Town Bylaws (Town Clerk edition dated May 4, 2026), p. 82
    All household trash shall be removed from the premises once per week. Trash held overnight shall be secured to deter animal activity.
  7. Ch. 12, Section 12.06 Enforcement (Non-Criminal Disposition), Town of Sandwich Town Bylaws (Town Clerk edition dated May 4, 2026), p. 82
    If non-criminal disposition is elected, then any person who violates any provision of this bylaw or regulation shall be subject to a penalty in the amount of one hundred dollars ($100) for the first offense; two hundred dollars ($200) for the second offense; and three hundred dollars ($300) for a third and subsequent offense. Each day or portion thereof shall constitute a separate offense.
  8. Short Term Rental Registration, Registration/1st Inspection Fees, Building Department - Short Term Rental Registration page
    Upon successful submission of your application, a fee will be auto calculated for $250.00 ($150.00 for annual registration and $100.00 for first Inspection).
  9. Annual Short Term Rental (STR) Fee Schedule, Annual Short Term Rental (STR) COI Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2025), p. 1
    $150.00 Registration Plus Short-Term Rentals $100.00 One Inspection $50.00 Per Each Re-Inspection
  10. Registration for COI, 7. Protocol for Inspections, Registration for Certificate of Inspection (COI) for Short Term Rental - instructions with sample floor plan (rev. 5/22/25), p. 2
    Inspections will be performed on Mondays and Tuesdays and cappped at 10 per day. **IMPORTANT – Someone is required to be present during the inspection.
  11. Draft By-Law Amendments, Short-Term Rentals, Draft By-Law Amendments page (Planning & Development) - Short-Term Rental survey, Sept 8-Oct 30, 2026 (PROPOSAL stage)
    The survey will be open from September 8-October 30 and should take no more than 5 minutes to complete.
  12. May 6, 2024 ATM, Article 15, 2024 Town Meeting Results (May 6, 2024 ATM; Nov 18, 2024 STM) - room occupancy excise, p. 12
    COUNTED VOTED: That the Town vote in accordance with M.G.L. c.64G, §3A to amend its local room occupancy excise to the rate of six percent (6%).
  13. Sec. 2560 Common Ownership (adjacent substandard lots), Protective Zoning By-law (May 2025 edition), p. 25
    Any single-family residential structure constructed on said lot shall not exceed 1,850 square feet of heated living area, shall contain not less than three (3) bedrooms and shall not be used as a seasonal home or short-term rental, all of which shall be reflected in a deed restriction to be recorded prior to the occupancy of the dwelling.
This page summarizes Sandwich'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 Department (Building Commissioner administers and enforces the Protective Zoning By-law, incl. s.4130 ADUs, and the general bylaw Ch. 12 Short-Term Rentals; zoning complaints on the Zoning Complaint Form), Town Hall Annex, 100 Route 6A, Sandwich MA 02563; email building@sandwichmass.org; setback questions setbacks@sandwichmass.org (508-888-4200) before you build. Spot an error?