Easthampton, Mass., City Ordinances ch. 4, art. VI (2026) § 4-50.4
Standards and Limitations
Operative Text
a. The maximum number of Short-Term Rentals permitted in the City at any given time shall be capped at 50 total Dwelling Units. i. For the first 30 days this ordinance is in effect, initial applications to register a Dwelling Unit as a Short-Term Rental shall only be made available for Short- Term Rentals registered with the Department of Revenue as of March 31st, 2025. After the first 30 days, initial applications shall be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. ii. If the maximum number of Short-Term Rentals permitted in the City has been reached, applicants shall be placed on a waiting list. As registrations become available, applicants will be notified according to their position on the waiting list. iii. Once a Short-Term Rental has been registered with the City, the Owner shall have the right to renew their registration annually, provided that they maintain compliance with this Ordinance, state law, and all applicable regulations and provided that the Owner submits an application for renewal of their registration within 30 days of its expiration. iv. Any Short-Term Rental Owner who fails to submit for renewal of their annual registration within 30 days of its expiration shall be treated as a first-time applicant and placed on the waitlist, if applicable. b. In recognition of unique circumstances and transitional periods that an Owner may face, an exception to the aforementioned Short-Term Rental cap shall be made for any Owner that wishes to apply for a one-time, provisional registration of a Short-Term Rental. A provisional registration shall be valid for one (1) Registration Year and shall not be renewed or extended. i. After obtaining a provisional registration, an Owner shall be prohibited from thereafter applying for or obtaining another provisional registration for a Short- Term Rental at any time. ii. An Owner wishing to continue operating a Short-Term Rental after the expiration of a provisional registration shall apply for a Short-Term Rental registration and shall be subject to the cap referenced in 4-50.4(a). iii. All other requirements of this Ordinance shall apply to a Short-Term Rental operated under a provisional registration. c. An Owner shall be permitted to register up to two (2) Dwelling Units for Short-Term Rentals, provided that at least one of the registrations is for an Owner-Occupied Short- Term Rental. Otherwise, an Owner shall only be permitted to register one (1) Dwelling Unit as a Short-Term Rental. d. An Owner shall not be eligible to operate a Short-Term Rental unless the Owner has owned the property on which the Short-Term Rental will occur for a minimum of three hundred sixty-five (365) days prior to its application for registration under this Ordinance, as evidenced by the recording of a deed in the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds. e. The limitations detailed in 4-50.4(c.) and 4-50.4(d.) shall not apply to Short-Term Rentals in operation prior to March 31st, 2025, provided that the Owner of the Short-Term Rental applies for registration within 30 days of this Ordinance taking effect, that the Short-Term Rental is operated continuously and that there is no subsequent lapse in registration. f. The number of individual bedrooms made available for Short-Term Rental within a Dwelling Unit shall not be greater than the number of lawful bedrooms in the Dwelling Unit permitted by the Massachusetts Sanitary Code 105 CMR 410.00 and the Massachusetts Building Code found at 780 CMR. g. If the Short-Term Rental is connected to a septic system, the Board of Health may, as a condition of registration, impose a restriction on the number of occupants permitted on the premises containing the Dwelling Unit at any one time. h. Short-Term Rentals shall only be rented to one Booking Party at a time
Section 4-50.4 of Easthampton's short-term rental ordinance establishes a citywide cap of 50 short-term rental dwelling units, with a first-come, first-served waitlist once that cap is reached. Owners must renew their registrations annually within 30 days of expiration or lose their place and re-enter as first-time applicants. A one-time provisional registration is available for owners facing transitional circumstances, but it cannot be renewed and bars the owner from obtaining another provisional registration in the future. Additional limits govern how many units an owner may register, how long they must have owned the property, bedroom counts, septic system occupancy, and single-booking-party requirements.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to § 4-50.4 generally maintain compliance by tracking their registration expiration date and submitting renewal applications within the 30-day window to preserve their standing under the citywide cap. Owners who wish to register two dwelling units must ensure at least one qualifies as an owner-occupied short-term rental; otherwise only one unit may be registered. Owners who have not held title for at least 365 days prior to application — documented by a recorded deed in the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds — are generally ineligible to register, and properties on septic systems may face occupancy conditions imposed by the Board of Health as part of the registration process.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 4-50.4 sets enforceable limits on how many short-term rentals can legally operate in Easthampton at once, which can be relevant context for tenants or neighbors concerned about whether a particular rental is properly registered. Tenants staying in a short-term rental have a right to know that the unit should be rented to only one booking party at a time and that the number of available bedrooms cannot exceed what is lawfully permitted under the Massachusetts Sanitary Code and Building Code. Anyone with questions about whether a short-term rental is operating in compliance with § 4-50.4 may contact the City of Easthampton or consult a local tenant-rights organization for guidance on available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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