Newton, Mass., City Ordinances §§ 20-160–20-168 (2020) § 20-161
Requirements for Short Term Rentals
Operative Text
(a) Compliance. No Residential Unit shall be offered as a Short Term Rental except in compliance with the
provisions of this article.
(b) Registration. Operators of any Short Term Rental located in the City of Newton must register with the City
in accordance with Sec. 20-162 of this article.
(c) No Outstanding Code Enforcement or Inactive Building Permits. Operators are prohibited from renting
any Short Term Rental if the property is subject to an outstanding building, electrical, plumbing,
mechanical, fire, health, housing, trash, noise or zoning code enforcement, including notices of violation,
notices to cure, orders of abatement, cease and desist orders or correction notices, unpaid fines or if there
are any inactive outstanding building permits for the property.
(d) Three or More Violations in a Twelve Month Period. Should a property receive three or more violation
notices within any twelve month period under this article, or of any municipal ordinance, state law, or
building code, any residential unit within the property shall be ineligible to be used as a Short Term Rental
for a period of six months from the third or subsequent violation.
Newton Ordinances On-Line - Chapter 20 - page 43
§ 20-159 NEWTON ORDINANCES —MISCELLANEOUS ORDINANCES § 20-159
(e) Annual Certification. All Operators must file with the Inspectional Services Department a sworn
certification attesting to continued compliance with the requirements of this article and all applicable public
safety codes. Such certification shall be filed annually on the first business day of January.
(f) Annual Notice to Abutters. The Operator must, within thirty (30) days after registration of a Short Term
Rental, provide notice of such registration to all abutters, owners of land directly opposite any public or
private street or way, and abutters to the abutters. Such notification shall include the contact information of
the Operator and the local contact, the Operator’s Inspectional Services Department issued registration
number, and a reference to this article. This notice must thereafter be provided annually on the first business
day of January to all abutters, owners of land directly opposite any public or private street or way, and
abutters to the abutters. Failure to provide such notice shall constitute a violation of this ordinance.Section 20-161 of Newton's City Ordinances establishes a comprehensive set of baseline requirements that must be met before any residential unit may be offered as a short-term rental. The rule prohibits operation of a short-term rental if the property carries unresolved code enforcement actions, unpaid fines, or inactive building permits, and it triggers a six-month ineligibility period if a property accumulates three or more violation notices within any twelve-month window. Operators must also register with the city, file an annual sworn compliance certification with the Inspectional Services Department each January, and notify neighboring property owners of their registration within 30 days of registering and again each January thereafter.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to § 20-161 generally maintain active registration under Sec. 20-162, resolve any outstanding code enforcement actions or inactive building permits before listing a unit, and monitor their violation history to avoid the three-strikes ineligibility trigger. Compliant operators file a sworn annual certification with Newton's Inspectional Services Department on the first business day of January each year. They also send written notice—including their registration number, contact information, and a reference to § 20-161—to all abutters and abutters-to-abutters within 30 days of initial registration and repeat that notice every January.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 20-161 gives neighbors and prospective guests a basis to check whether a short-term rental in Newton is lawfully operating: the unit must be registered, free of unresolved code violations or inactive permits, and backed by a current annual certification. If a property has accumulated three or more violation notices within a twelve-month period, it is ineligible to operate as a short-term rental for six months from the third violation—a status that can be relevant to anyone affected by an unlawfully operating unit. Tenants or neighbors who believe a short-term rental is operating in violation of § 20-161 may contact Newton's Inspectional Services Department or consult a local tenant-rights organization to understand available complaint and enforcement paths.
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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