Recent updates and changes we're watching
Town rules change at town meetings, council votes and state approvals. This page lists the votes we're tracking and the pages we've recently researched or re-checked. See how we research.
Changes we're watching
- October 27, 2026: Santa Barbara, California, Short-term rentals. City Council final adoption vote on new short-term rental and homeshare ordinances (introduced Oct 6, 2026). The coastal version also needs Coastal Commission certification. Current page.
- November 9, 2026: Reading, Massachusetts, ADU rules. Subsequent Town Meeting considers ADU amendments (by-right ADUs, no owner occupancy, no short-term rental of ADUs) and raising the fence permit threshold from 6 to 7 feet. Current page.
- November 16, 2026: Yarmouth, Massachusetts, Short-term rentals. Special Town Meeting votes on a new short-term rental bylaw and an ADU rewrite. The current zoning short-term rental rules expire November 30, 2026. Current page.
- November 16, 2026: Wakefield, Massachusetts, Wetlands rules. Town Meeting considers a new local wetlands protection bylaw (25-foot no-build zone, 100-foot buffer). Current page.
- Date not set: Bourne, Massachusetts, ADU rules. ADU amendment adopted at the May 4, 2026 Town Meeting (removes owner occupancy, minimum lot size and the bedroom cap); Attorney General approval not yet confirmed. Current page.
- Date not set: Rockport, Massachusetts, ADU rules. Six-month minimum lease for ADUs adopted at the April 11, 2026 Town Meeting; Attorney General approval not yet confirmed. Current page.
- July 1, 2027: Maine, ADU rules. Maine's LD 1829 ADU changes take effect statewide, including the end of local owner-occupancy requirements.
After each of these, we re-check the source documents and update the affected pages.
Recently researched or re-checked
October 21, 2026
- Reading, Massachusetts: 10 topics
October 20, 2026
- Canton, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Sandwich, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Wakefield, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Mashpee, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Rockport, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Bourne, Massachusetts: 10 topics
October 19, 2026
- Bath, Maine: 10 topics
- Auburn, Maine: 9 topics
- Acton, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Natick, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Westford, Massachusetts: 10 topics
October 16, 2026
- Falmouth, Maine: 7 topics
- Boothbay Harbor, Maine: 2 topics
- Lewiston, Maine: 10 topics
October 15, 2026
- Falmouth, Maine: Chicken laws
- Windham, Maine: 6 topics
- Wells, Maine: 4 topics
- Westlake Village, California: 9 topics
- Sierra Madre, California: 10 topics
- Carpinteria, California: 9 topics
- Plymouth, Massachusetts: 9 topics
- Worcester, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Salem, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Cambridge, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Dennis, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Burlington, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Yarmouth, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Medford, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Gloucester, Massachusetts: 9 topics
- Walpole, Massachusetts: 9 topics
October 14, 2026
- Mill Valley, California: 3 topics
- Danville, California: 8 topics
- Santa Barbara, California: 8 topics
- Malibu, California: 10 topics
- Newport Beach, California: 7 topics
- Coronado, California: 3 topics
- Woodside, California: 10 topics
- Orinda, California: 10 topics
- Rancho Palos Verdes, California: 10 topics
- San Clemente, California: 9 topics
- Westlake Village, California: Short-term rentals
- Carpinteria, California: ADU rules
- Morro Bay, California: 10 topics
October 13, 2026
- Burlingame, California: 3 topics
October 5, 2026
- Wellesley, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Weston, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Lexington, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Concord, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Brookline, Massachusetts: 8 topics
- Needham, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Dover, Massachusetts: 5 topics
- Sudbury, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Wayland, Massachusetts: 8 topics
- Lincoln, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Belmont, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Winchester, Massachusetts: 8 topics
- Andover, Massachusetts: 8 topics
- Hingham, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Cohasset, Massachusetts: 6 topics
- Duxbury, Massachusetts: 9 topics
- Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts: 9 topics
- Chatham, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Falmouth, Massachusetts: 9 topics
- Scituate, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Swampscott, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Hamilton, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Carlisle, Massachusetts: 10 topics
- Los Altos, California: 10 topics
- Saratoga, California: 10 topics
- Los Gatos, California: 9 topics
- Tiburon, California: 10 topics
- Piedmont, California: 10 topics
- Lafayette, California: 7 topics
- Manhattan Beach, California: 10 topics
- Pasadena, California: 10 topics
- Del Mar, California: 9 topics
- Hillsborough, California: 10 topics
October 4, 2026
- Nantucket, Massachusetts: 5 topics
- Barnstable, Massachusetts: 4 topics
October 3, 2026
- Cape Elizabeth, Maine: 10 topics
- Falmouth, Maine: Short-term rentals
- Yarmouth, Maine: 10 topics
- Cumberland, Maine: 8 topics
- Freeport, Maine: 10 topics
- Scarborough, Maine: 10 topics
- South Portland, Maine: 10 topics
- Gorham, Maine: Shoreland zoning
- Windham, Maine: 4 topics
- Harpswell, Maine: 10 topics
- Brunswick, Maine: 10 topics
- Topsham, Maine: 4 topics
- Kennebunk, Maine: 10 topics
- Kennebunkport, Maine: 2 topics
- York, Maine: 10 topics
- Kittery, Maine: 10 topics
- Ogunquit, Maine: 10 topics
- Wells, Maine: 3 topics
- Camden, Maine: 10 topics
- Rockport, Maine: 10 topics
- Boothbay Harbor, Maine: 2 topics
- Bar Harbor, Maine: 3 topics
- Mount Desert, Maine: 10 topics
October 2, 2026
- North Yarmouth, Maine: 10 topics
- Portland, Maine: 10 topics
- Gorham, Maine: 9 topics