Short-Term Rental Zoning Amendment

At a glance

What: a City Council petition to amend Section 4.60 of the zoning ordinance to overhaul short-term rental rules: new definitions, three rental categories (owner-occupied, owner-adjacent and autonomous units), registration tied to operator and unit, booking-platform registration, a proposed 90-day-per-calendar-year cap, and enforcement provisions including fines.
Where it stands: the Planning Board held a public hearing on August 4, 2026, heard objections to the 90-day cap, and voted unanimously to send the amendment to the City Council with a positive recommendation, with comments about removing or adjusting the time limit and giving the Inspectional Services Department regulatory flexibility.
Next: City Council consideration of the petition; the outcome is not known from the record.

Staff said about 716 short-term rentals operate in Cambridge, with only about 216 registered.
Law department staff said the Council asked for the cap and that 90 days is a placeholder for Council discussion.
Several board members opposed applying the cap to owner-occupied and owner-adjacent units; some suggested a cap, if any, only for autonomous units and after data is collected.

Public hearing; board voted unanimously to forward the amendment to the City Council with a positive recommendation.

Proposed amendments, including a 90-day limit on whole-unit rentals, were discussed by the Council; no vote.