Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Short-term rentals are permitted in Great Barrington under Article 25, the Short-Term Rental Bylaw, adopted at the June 6, 2022 Annual Town Meeting and effective January 1, 2023. An STR is any rental of 30 days or less. Every unit must be registered annually with the town through the MuniRevs portal and also with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. The town registration fee is $200 per year. An owner may register only one dwelling unit as an STR. Rental nights are capped at 150 per year unless the owner lives in a unit on the premises during the rental, in which case there is no cap. There is no general primary residence or owner occupancy requirement. Zoning allows STRs by right in residential dwellings, with owners able to rent up to two bedrooms or an entire secondary unit. Hotels, motels, and lodging houses are excluded, and STRs are prohibited in deed-restricted affordable housing units and on properties with outstanding building, fire, health, or bylaw violations. Units need working smoke and CO detectors and a fire extinguisher. Amplified music events, permitted tents, and advertising signs are prohibited. Guests pay the 5.7% state room occupancy excise plus the 6% local option tax, and the state allows a further 3% community impact fee. Enforcement is rated moderate, with escalating fines of $100, $200, and $300 for successive offenses. Local debate about tightening the rules to ease housing pressure was ongoing as of 2024 and 2025, so owners should confirm current requirements with the town.