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

Worcester, Worcester County · Bylaws checked 2026-10-15 · Reviewed · 7 cited sections

Restricted

Worcester has no short-term rental ordinance or license, and its zoning doesn't list short-term rentals as a use; because uses not listed are not allowed, our reading (an inference, not an explicit rule) is that Airbnb-style rentals aren't clearly permitted. The closest listed use is an owner-occupied bed and breakfast (up to 6 guestrooms, stays under 8 days), which needs a Zoning Board of Appeals special permit in residential districts; ADUs may never be short-term rentals.

City STR licenseNone found in the ordinances [1]
Unlisted usesNot allowed unless expressly permitted in the district [1]
Bed & breakfastOwner-occupied, max 6 guestrooms, stays under 8 days [2]
B&B approvalZBA special permit + certificate of occupancy [3]
Renting rooms (non-transient)Up to 2 non-transient roomers by a resident family [4]
ADUsMay not be short-term rentals [5]
Rental registration fee$15 per unit first time; $5 per unit yearly renewal [7]

No STR ordinance

Worcester has no short-term rental ordinance: we found no STR license, registration or definition in the Revised Ordinances or the Zoning Ordinance. That matters because the zoning ordinance only allows listed uses: land and buildings may not be used for any use not expressly permitted in the district [1]. "Short-term rental" isn't a listed use, and a use that the Director of Code Enforcement doesn't find to fall within a permitted category is excluded. The "restricted" verdict on this page is our inference from those general rules, not an explicit city rule about Airbnb.

Bed and breakfast

The closest listed use is a bed and breakfast establishment: an owner-occupied dwelling with no more than six guestrooms, breakfast included, and stays of less than eight days [2]. Table 4.1 shows it needs a special permit in the RS-10, RS-7, RL-7, RG-5, BO and BL-1 districts and is not allowed in the other districts; the B&B rules refer to detached single-family dwellings. You need a Zoning Board of Appeals special permit and a certificate of occupancy before opening [3]. The permit is issued only to the owner, isn't transferable, and the B&B can use no more than 50% of the home's floor area. Signs are limited to one small wall or window sign.

Other limits

  • A resident family may rent rooms to no more than two non-transient roomers [4]. Transient guests aren't covered by that allowance.
  • Renting rooms to four or more unrelated people makes a lodging house, which isn't allowed in RS-10, RS-7 or RL-7 districts.
  • An ADU may not be a short-term rental under M.G.L. c. 64G [5].
  • Anyone operating a hotel, B&B, lodging house or "AirB&B" must adopt a human trafficking recognition policy [6].

Rental registration

If you rent out a single-family home you don't live in, or units in a two- or three-family you don't live in (or any multi-family), register it with Inspectional Services' Rental Property Registration Program. The fee is $15 per unit at first and $5 per unit each year after [7]. Non-owner-occupied rental units also get State Sanitary Code inspections at least every 5 years. These rules aren't written specifically for short stays.

State registration and room-occupancy taxes apply to any rental of 31 days or less (see below). Because the city's rules don't squarely address Airbnb-style rentals, ask Inspectional Services before you list.

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

Next steps

  1. Ask Inspectional Services, Building & Zoning (25 Meade St., 508-799-1198) for a written determination of whether your planned rental is permitted in your zoning district.
  2. If you live in the home and want to host guests in up to 6 rooms, apply to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a bed and breakfast special permit, then get a certificate of occupancy.
  3. Register non-owner-occupied rental units with the Rental Property Registration Program ($15 per unit, $5 annual renewal; 10% off online).
  4. Register with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue for short-term rental taxes and carry the required liability insurance.

Common questions

Are short-term rentals allowed in Worcester, MA?
It's unclear. Worcester has no short-term rental ordinance or license, and its zoning only allows listed uses; short-term rentals aren't listed, so our reading (an inference, not an explicit rule) is that Airbnb-style rentals aren't clearly permitted. Ask Building & Zoning for a written determination.
Can I run a bed and breakfast in Worcester, Massachusetts?
Possibly. An owner-occupied bed and breakfast with up to 6 guestrooms and stays under 8 days needs a Zoning Board of Appeals special permit in residential districts, plus a certificate of occupancy.
Can I Airbnb my ADU in Worcester, MA?
No. A Worcester ADU may never be used as a short-term rental.
Do I need to register a rental in Worcester, Massachusetts?
Non-owner-occupied rental units must be registered with the Rental Property Registration Program: $15 per unit the first time and $5 per unit for yearly renewal.

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

  1. Art. IV, §1(A) Application, City of Worcester Zoning Ordinance (ordained April 2, 1991, as amended through January 13, 2026), p. 35
    No building, structure or land, in any district, may be used, erected, altered or expanded, in whole or in part, for any use not expressly permitted in that district unless as a permitted accessory use pursuant to Article IV, Section-8.
  2. Art. I, §2 Definitions, Bed and Breakfast Establishment, City of Worcester Zoning Ordinance (ordained April 2, 1991, as amended through January 13, 2026), p. 8
    BED AND BREAKFAST ESTABLISHMENT – An owner-occupied dwelling with no more than six (6) guestrooms that includes a breakfast in the guestroom rate, and provides for a term of residency of less than eight (8) days.
  3. Art. IV, §11(A)(1), City of Worcester Zoning Ordinance (ordained April 2, 1991, as amended through January 13, 2026), p. 123
    No bed and breakfast establishment shall be operated without first being granted a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals and a certificate of occupancy pursuant to the Massachusetts State Building Code.
  4. Art. IV, §8(B)(8), City of Worcester Zoning Ordinance (ordained April 2, 1991, as amended through January 13, 2026), p. 115
    The renting of rooms by a resident family may be allowed in a Residential District to not more than two (2) non-transients provided that no more than three (3) persons, who are not within the second degree of kinship, are living in a dwelling unit.
  5. Art. IV, §8(G)(4)(b), City of Worcester Zoning Ordinance (ordained April 2, 1991, as amended through January 13, 2026), p. 118
    ADUs shall not be a “Short Term Rental” as defined in M.G.L. c. 64G sec. 1.
  6. R.O. c. 2, §40(e) Human Trafficking Recognition & Elimination Policy, Revised Ordinances of 2008, Part One - Regulatory Ordinances (as amended through September 8, 2026), p. 41
    Each person responsible for the operation of any hotel, motel, bed & breakfast, lodging house, AirB&B or other place providing lodging or temporary shelter, shall adopt a Human Trafficking Recognition and Elimination policy in substantially similar form and content as the city policy stated in subsection (c) above.
  7. R.O. c. 9, §18(f) Rental Property Registration Program, Revised Ordinances of 2008, Part One - Regulatory Ordinances (as amended through September 8, 2026), p. 188
    (1) First-time or new registration for dwellings, commercial, retail, office: $15.00 per unit. (2) Annual renewal for dwellings, commercial, retail, office: $5.00 per unit.
This page summarizes Worcester's posted bylaws as of 2026-10-15. Bylaws are amended, and individual lots can have overlays, subdivision covenants, or HOA rules that are stricter. Confirm with Department of Inspectional Services - Building & Zoning, 25 Meade Street (508-799-1198) before you build. Spot an error?