After several years of discussion, the Boston City Council passed legislation regulating short term rentals in the City of Boston. The primary effect of the proposed Ordinance would be to establish a registration system for all short-term rentals and to impose limitations on such rentals in the City of Boston.
A "Short-Term Rental" is defined as the use of a residential unit by a person for less than 28 consecutive dates. Also, licensed rooming houses, licensed bed and breakfasts, units offered under certain circumstances for person receiving medical treatment and their families, and short-term business/institutional stays of at least ten days, are all excluded from this Ordinance.
The Committee on Government Operations made several changes to the bill including allowing owner adjacent units to be rented for 365 days a year. Under a prior version of the bill owner adjacent bills were capped at 120 days a year. The bill also added a requirement that the Commissioner of ISD report on the effectiveness of the new law beginning on June 30, 2019. Three amendments to the bill were also added including a sunset provision allowing residential units with executed leases for short term rentals to operate through September of 2019. Mayor Walsh has indicated he plans to sign the bill into law.
Please stay tuned for a member update from GBREB regarding the specific provisions of the law once it is signed by Mayor Walsh.