South Hadley, Mass., Code of Bylaws ch 136 § 136-6
Conditions (South Hadley Residential Short-Term Rental Units)
Operative Text
Licenses for short-term rental use are conditioned upon the following: A. Only spaces intended for human habitation may be offered for rent as short-term rentals. For example, the applicant cannot offer for rent an accessory structure such as a shed or garage. B. Only legally established dwelling units may be offered for rent as short-term rentals. Structures including but not limited to campers, mobile homes, RVs, tents/tent platforms, yurts, and any other temporary structure or mobile vehicle do not qualify as dwelling units for the purpose of short-term rental lodging. C. Short-term rentals may not be advertised using any exterior signs or displays. D. All short-term rental advertisements must include the license number issued by the Town. E. Only owner-occupants may offer all or part of their principal residence as a short-term rental. (1) Owner-occupied. (a) The owner-occupant or their representative must reside on the property during the rental period to satisfy the owner occupancy requirement. (b) In the event the property is owned by multiple persons, related or unrelated, only one of the persons having an ownership interest in the property must reside on the property to be owner-occupied. (c) In the event the property is owned by a business entity, a designated owner representative must reside on the property in a permanent or ongoing basis to carry out the functions as if they were the owner of the property. (2) Non-owner-occupied. (a) The owner-occupant must be the license applicant. (b) The owner-occupant does not reside on the property during the rental period; however, they assume all responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the property, including but not limited to any complaints as herein defined. (c) In the event the property is owned by a business entity, a designated owner representative must be identified including their name and contact information. F. Licensees shall maintain liability insurance appropriate to cover short-term rental use. G. Short-term rentals may only be rented to one party or group at a time; individual rooms may not be rented to separate, unrelated parties or groups at the same time. H. The number of individual bedrooms made available for short-term rentals within a dwelling unit shall not be greater than the number of lawful bedrooms in the dwelling unit. I. Renting for less than 24 hours is prohibited. J. Commercial meetings and uses are prohibited.
South Hadley, Mass., Code of Bylaws CH. 136 § 136-6 sets out the baseline conditions that must be met for a short-term rental license to remain valid. Only legally established dwelling units intended for human habitation qualify — structures like sheds, garages, campers, RVs, yurts, and tents do not. Rentals must go to a single party at a time, must last at least 24 hours, cannot be used for commercial meetings, and all advertisements must display the Town-issued license number while avoiding exterior signage. Owner-occupancy rules require that either the owner or a designated representative reside on the property, with specific provisions for properties held by multiple owners or business entities.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to CH. 136 § 136-6 generally ensure that only lawfully established, habitation-grade spaces are listed, and that every advertisement carries the Town-issued license number without using exterior signs or displays. Compliant operators maintain liability insurance appropriate for short-term rental use, rent only to one party or group at a time, and never rent for periods shorter than 24 hours or allow commercial meetings on the premises. Those operating under the owner-occupied category keep documentation showing that the owner or a designated representative resides on the property during rental periods, and business-entity owners identify a named representative to fulfill that role on an ongoing basis.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under CH. 136 § 136-6, short-term rental guests in South Hadley have the assurance that any lawfully licensed unit must be a genuine, legally established dwelling — not a shed, camper, or similar structure — and that the rental must be for at least 24 hours with no commercial activities permitted on the premises. Guests can verify that a listing is compliant by checking whether the advertisement includes a Town-issued license number, as required by this provision. If a rental appears to violate these conditions, tenants or prospective guests may raise concerns with the Town of South Hadley or consult a local tenant-rights organization to understand 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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