Cambridge MA
Can I Airbnb in Cambridge? 2026 Short-Term Rental Rules
Is Airbnb legal in Cambridge?
STRs are allowed only as operator-occupied or owner-adjacent registered units; un-hosted investor rentals are not permitted, and further tightening is moving through the council.
Last verified October 1, 2026 (today). Short-term rental rules can change between checks. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction before relying on this for a real decision.
Key facts
Primary residence required
Permit / license required
Lodging tax required
New permits open
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Legal summary
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Jurisdiction breakdown
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Nearby cities with a higher regulation score than Cambridge.
How we research this
The STRVE Score is our own regulation rating, built from seven levels of authority: state, county, town, HOA, deed restrictions, special districts, and platform rules. Each level is scored separately, with its own citations and the date we verified it. The headline number is the strictest of the seven, never an average, because the tightest rule is the one that governs you.
We keep a history of what a city's rules said before and when they changed, so a score that moves is traceable to the rule that moved it.
- Highly permissive
- 90+
- Friendly
- 70–89
- Moderate
- 45–69
- Heavily restricted
- 20–44
- Effectively banned
- 0–19
Not legal advice
STRVE is a research tool, not financial or legal advice. Always verify regulation, tax, and permitting details with the local jurisdiction and a licensed professional before you buy.
The STRVE Score and the seven-level breakdown are our own rating framework, not an official or government rating, and no jurisdiction endorses or reviews them. The rules behind them are researched from public sources with AI assistance and are current only as of the verification date shown, so they can be incomplete, outdated, or wrong. None of it substitutes for advice from local counsel. Confirm every permit, tax, occupancy, and zoning requirement against the jurisdiction's own municipal code and with an attorney licensed in that jurisdiction before you buy, list, or operate. Terms of Service