Harwich, Massachusetts Short-Term Rental Market
Harwich, MA Cape Cod STRs averaged $387/night in April 2026, with revenue up 15.6% year-over-year despite lower occupancy.
Quick Answer: Harwich, Massachusetts is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 67%. average monthly revenue is $7,792. average daily rate is $571. the top operator is Vacasa with 569 listings. market score is 46/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Cape Cod regional market, which includes Harwich. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Harwich.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Harwich is a seven-village town on Cape Cod’s south shore fronting Nantucket Sound, with a year-round population of approximately 13,440 that swells to around 37,000 during peak summer months. The STR market here is large and seasonally concentrated, with approximately 13,351 active listings by bedroom count, dominated by entire-place units at 12,737 listings (95% of supply), private rooms at 623, and just one shared room. Bedroom distribution is notably balanced toward larger properties: three-bedrooms lead at 3,931 listings, followed by four-bedrooms (2,632), two-bedrooms (2,764), one-bedrooms (2,491), and five-plus-bedrooms (1,533). Channel distribution reflects the Cape Cod vacation rental tradition of cross-listing: 6,622 properties list on both Airbnb and VRBO, while 3,916 are Airbnb-only and 2,823 VRBO-only, a much higher VRBO share than most markets. In April 2026 (a shoulder month), occupancy was 45.35% and ADR was $386.56, producing RevPAR of $175.30. Year-over-year, occupancy declined 2.32 percentage points but revenue rose a strong 15.58%, entirely driven by a 6.3% ADR increase that more than offset the demand softness. Market scores show a revenue-growth standout at 89.8/100, with overall score at 45.8/100, reflecting the impact of seasonality (45.6/100) and moderate rental demand (46.3/100).
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30% | $323 | $2,767 |
| Feb | 42% | $314 | $2,924 |
| Mar | 42% | $301 | $2,851 |
| Apr | 48% | $306 | $2,855 |
| May | 51% | $358 | $3,258 |
| Jun | 67% | $452 | $5,970 |
| Jul | 77% | $479 | $8,404 |
| Aug | 79% | $510 | $9,283 |
| Sep | 45% | $401 | $4,875 |
| Oct | 34% | $323 | $3,242 |
| Nov | 31% | $316 | $2,647 |
| Dec | 33% | $353 | $2,989 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Harwich
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 569 | 20,680 | ★ 4.52 |
| 2 | Del Mar Vacation Rentals | 398 | 18,582 | ★ 4.79 |
| 3 | Kinlin Grover Vacation Rentals | 351 | 1,811 | ★ 4.70 |
| 4 | New England Vacation Rentals | 274 | 1,577 | ★ 4.66 |
| 5 | Robert Paul Vacations | 189 | 1,796 | ★ 4.69 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Harwich?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 2,491 |
| 2 bed | 2,764 |
| 3 bed | 3,931 |
| 4 bed | 2,632 |
| 5 bed | 1,533 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $587 |
| Luxury | $1,114 |
| Professionally Managed | $566 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $5,640 |
| Entire Place | $7,979 |
| House | $8,309 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 29.3% |
| vrbo | 21.1% |
| both | 49.6% |
Investment Analysis
Harwich presents a high-ADR, high-entry-cost market with compressed shoulder-season occupancy. The typical home value was $753,729 as of April 2026, with a median list price of $803,800 and only 25 properties actively for sale, reflecting extremely tight inventory on Cape Cod. At an all-listings monthly average of $3,421 in April (a shoulder month), annualized gross revenue of approximately $41,054 against a $753,729 typical home value implies a gross yield of roughly 5.4% before operating expenses, taxes, and platform fees. However, the summer peak months dramatically skew the annual picture: July and August average $8,420 and $9,297 respectively, meaning a 2-month peak window alone can generate roughly $17,700 in gross revenue. Entire-place listings outperform at $3,555/month in April, and houses at $3,855/month. Luxury units reach $820.30/night in ADR, more than double the $386.56 market average. Professionally managed listings averaged $368.92/night, slightly below the all-listings average, which may reflect professional managers holding a broader range of property types. The 15.58% year-over-year revenue growth signal is the most compelling recent metric for this market, driven by ADR expansion rather than demand growth. Harwich’s no-fee, no-cap STR registration environment and the absence of owner-occupancy requirements make non-resident investment operationally straightforward.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Harwich STRs averaged a booking lead time of 58.5 days in April 2026, indicating guests book nearly two months in advance. This is among the longer lead times in any coastal market, consistent with Cape Cod summer demand: peak summer weeks (July 4, August) are typically locked up well before May. Average length of stay was 3.53 nights, shorter than the week-long rentals that historically defined Cape Cod vacation houses. The shift toward shorter stays reflects the influence of Airbnb and VRBO on booking behavior, with more travelers taking long-weekend trips rather than committing to 7-night blocks. For operators, the long lead time creates early visibility for summer pricing, while the shorter LOS requires tighter minimum-stay policies to protect peak weeks from fragmented bookings. A 4-to-7-night minimum in July-August is common practice. The contrast between the 58.5-day lead time and the 3.53-night average stay suggests most of that advance booking activity is concentrated in peak-summer demand, with shoulder-season bookings coming in much closer to arrival.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Harwich requires registration for any property rented for fewer than 90 days, administered by the town’s Building Department, but the program is light-touch with no registration fee and no penalty for non-compliance. Owners self-certify that smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors are working and that the property meets current building codes. Routine inspections are not required and occur only if a complaint is filed. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, no documented cap on rental nights per year, and no zoning overlay restricting STRs across Harwich’s residential villages. As of reporting, compliance was low: the town’s registry held approximately 233 properties versus an estimated 1,114 in the Massachusetts state registry (about 21%). All operators must separately register with the Massachusetts Public Registry of Lodging Operators. The total room occupancy tax for Harwich is 14.45%: 5.7% state excise plus 6.0% local option plus 2.75% Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund. A community impact fee of up to 3% may apply to operators with multiple properties or owner-occupied 2-to-3-unit rentals. Harwich is considered one of the more permissive Cape Cod towns for STR operators, given the absence of fees, caps, and proactive enforcement. Investors should confirm current 2026 rules directly with the town.
Market Comparison
Harwich’s April occupancy of 45.4% is below the US STR median of approximately 55%, but April is a shoulder month on Cape Cod and the annual 2025 average was 47.75%. The $387 April ADR is well above the US median of roughly $220, reflecting the Cape Cod premium. The 2025 annual average ADR was $432, among the highest of any non-urban leisure market in the Northeast. Vacasa leads with 569 listings and 20,680 reviews at a 4.52 rating, the largest single operator in the market. Del Mar Vacation Rentals holds 398 listings with 18,582 reviews at a 4.79 rating, and Kinlin Grover Vacation Rentals manages 351 listings at a 4.70 rating, both deeply established local operators with large review volumes. New England Vacation Rentals (274 listings, 4.66 rating) and Robert Paul Vacations (189 listings, 4.69 rating) round out the top five. The market is more professionally managed than most, with VRBO penetration (2,823 single-channel plus 6,622 cross-listed) reflecting the legacy vacation-rental tradition predating Airbnb.
Frequently Asked Questions About Harwich, Massachusetts
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