Woburn, Mass., Municipal Code ch. 5 pt. X (2025) § 5-58
Licenses
Operative Text
The chief of police may license persons to keep lodging houses or lodging units
therein. The fee shall be twenty dollars annually and shall expire on the thirty-first
day of December next after the granting of the same. Such license shall specify the
street and number, if any, of the building where the business is to be carried on, or
give some other description thereof, and the license shall not protect a licensee who
carries on his business in any other place. (Prior Ch. 20 sec. 2).Under Woburn, Mass., Municipal Code ch. 5 pt. X § 5-58, operating a lodging house or renting lodging units in Woburn requires a license issued by the chief of police. The license costs twenty dollars per year and expires on December 31st of the year it is granted. Critically, the license is tied to a specific address — operating the business at any location other than the one named on the license is not covered by that license.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 5-58, a compliant lodging house operator in Woburn obtains a license from the chief of police before conducting business, pays the twenty-dollar annual fee, and ensures the license accurately reflects the address where the lodging house operates. Operators who move or expand to a different location generally seek a new or updated license for that address, since the existing license provides no protection for business carried on elsewhere. Keeping the license current through its December 31st expiration date is part of standard compliance practice for lodging house operators under this provision.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 5-58 establishes that lodging houses in Woburn are required to be licensed by the chief of police and that the license must name the specific address of the operation. Tenants in a lodging house may wish to verify that their building is operating under a valid, address-specific license as contemplated by this provision. Those with concerns about whether a lodging house is properly licensed can explore options such as contacting the Woburn Police Department, reaching out to local housing or municipal offices, or consulting a tenant-rights organization familiar with Massachusetts lodging house regulations.
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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