Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in Walpole, Massachusetts
We found no Walpole short-term rental bylaw, registration or local license in the zoning bylaw and other town documents we reviewed, but we could not check the town's general bylaws. The zoning bylaw defines short-term rentals (using the state definition in G.L. c. 64G) and prohibits them in accessory dwelling units (ADUs); it doesn't say whether renting your main home on Airbnb or VRBO is allowed, so ask the Building Department first. State registration and tax rules still apply.
| Short-term rental in an ADU | Prohibited [2] |
| Definition used | G.L. c. 64G, §1 (state short-term rental law) [1] |
| Local STR registration or license | None found in zoning bylaw [1] |
| Bed-and-breakfast (related use) | Owner-occupied; max 3 rooms and 6 renters [3] |
What the zoning bylaw says
Walpole's zoning bylaw (revised through October 2025) mentions short-term rentals only in its accessory dwelling unit section. It defines a short-term rental by reference to the state law, G.L. c. 64G, §1: an owner-occupied, tenant-occupied or non-owner-occupied property, other than a hotel, motel, lodging house or bed and breakfast, where at least one room or unit is rented and all stays are reserved in advance [1]. It then states that short-term rentals within an ADU are prohibited [2]. If you have an ADU, or plan to build one, you cannot list it on Airbnb or VRBO.
Renting your main home
The zoning bylaw has no registration, license, fee, cap, minimum-stay or owner-occupancy rule for short-term rentals of a primary house. It also doesn't list short-term rental as a use of its own, and it allows only the uses its use table lists for each district [5]. Whether the town treats renting out a whole house as part of ordinary residential use is not stated. We did not find a separate short-term rental bylaw. Walpole's consolidated general bylaws are published only on eCode360, which we could not access, so check with the town before relying on the absence of a rule.
Related uses
Renting rooms is treated differently from whole-home rentals. A bed-and-breakfast is defined as an owner-occupied single-family home renting up to three rooms for transient occupancy, with no more than six renters [3]. B&Bs need a Board of Appeals special permit in the General Residence district and are not allowed in the Residence A, Residence B or Rural districts, according to the use table. Taking in up to four lodgers "whether regular or transient" also needs a Board of Appeals special permit in the residential districts [4].
State rules
The state registration, tax and insurance requirements for short-term rentals shown on this page apply in Walpole whatever the local bylaws say.
See how Walpole compares with 8+ other Massachusetts towns on short-term rentals (airbnb / vrbo) →
Next steps
- If the space is an ADU, don't list it; short-term rentals of ADUs are prohibited.
- Before listing your main home, ask the Building Department (508-660-6348) whether any general bylaw or local registration applies.
- Register the property with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (MassTaxConnect) and arrange the required liability insurance.
- If you want to rent rooms as a B&B or lodging house, apply to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a special permit where the use table allows it.
Common questions
- Does Walpole, Massachusetts have a short-term rental bylaw?
- We found no short-term rental bylaw, registration or local license in Walpole's zoning bylaw and the other town documents reviewed. The town's general bylaws could not be checked, so ask the Building Department before relying on the absence of a rule.
- Can I rent my house on Airbnb in Walpole, Massachusetts?
- It depends, and it is unresolved. The zoning bylaw doesn't say whether renting your main home on Airbnb or VRBO is allowed, and whole-house short-term rental isn't a listed use. Ask the Building Department first; state registration and tax rules still apply.
- Can I Airbnb my accessory dwelling unit in Walpole, Massachusetts?
- No. Walpole's zoning bylaw prohibits short-term rentals within an accessory dwelling unit, so an ADU can't be listed on Airbnb or VRBO.
- Do I need to register a short-term rental in Walpole, Massachusetts?
- No local registration or license was found in the zoning bylaw, but the general bylaws weren't checked. State rules still apply: register with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (MassTaxConnect) and arrange the required liability insurance.
- Are bed and breakfasts allowed in Walpole, Massachusetts?
- It depends on the district. A B&B is an owner-occupied single-family home renting up to 3 rooms to no more than 6 renters. It needs a Board of Appeals special permit in General Residence and isn't allowed in Residence A, Residence B or Rural.
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.
What the bylaw says
- Sec. 5-B.2.2, Definition (Short-Term Rentals), Zoning Bylaws (Revised Through October 2025), p. 28
SHORT-TERM RENTALS – As defined within G.L. c64G, §1; an 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, lodging house or bed and breakfast establishment, where: (i) at least 1 room or unit is rented to an occupant or sub-occupant; and (ii) all accommodations are reserved in advance; provided, however, that a private owner-occupied property shall be considered a single unit if leased or rented as such.
- Sec. 5-B.2.3.G, Zoning Bylaws (Revised Through October 2025), p. 28
Short-term rentals within the accessory dwelling unit are prohibited.
- Sec. 14, Definitions (Bed-and-Breakfast), Zoning Bylaws (Revised Through October 2025), p. 105
BED-AND-BREAKFAST — An owner-occupied single-family dwelling which may rent up to a maximum of three (3) rooming units for transient occupancy, not to exceed a total of six (6) renters
- Table 5-B.1, Use Table, 3.k, Zoning Bylaws (Revised Through October 2025), p. 21
k. Lodging House, the letting of rooms or the furnishing of table board in a dwelling to not more than four (4) lodgers SPZ SPZ SPZ SPZ X A A A A A 2 (whether regular or transient).
- Sec. 5-A.1.A, Basic Requirements, Zoning Bylaws (Revised Through October 2025), p. 16
No building or structure shall be designed, arranged or constructed and no building, structure or land shall be used, in whole or in part for any purpose other than for one or more of the uses hereinafter set forth in Section 5-B as permitted in the district in which such building, structure or land is located, or set forth in Section 5-B as permissible by Special Permit in said district and so authorized in accordance with the following notations: