REALTORS® Provide Input on Proposed Short-Term Rental Regulations

The Cape Cod & Islands Association of REALTORS® and the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® submitted joint input on the proposed short-term rental regulations today. The testimony was provided by Blake Decker, CCIAOR's Vacation Rental Council Chair; Jonathan Schreiber, staff attorney for MAR; and Ryan Castle, CCIAOR's CEO. The hearing was held by staff at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

Issue Background

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue released proposed regulations to govern how the new state Short-Term Rental Law is to operate. In late December 2018, the Massachusetts legislature passed new laws intended to tax and regulate short-term rentals (stays under 31 days). These proposed regulations are the department's attempt to formalize their frequently asked questions about the implementation of the law.

While regulations are usually promulgated before the implementation of a law, the timelines in the short-term rental law were too tight of a turnaround. Instead, it is the Department of Revenue hopes to finalize the regulations prior to the deadline to remit the first month of short-term rental taxes - August 20th.

CCIAOR's and MAR's comments were around five areas of the regulations. Read the comment letter below: