All Forum Posts by: Cassandra Staffieri

Does anyone know the process of obtaining a lodging license in Boston, MA? Or who to speak to? It’s been extremely difficult getting information about this from the city and I keep getting redirected to different city departments. If someone has experience or knowledge with this, please let me know!

Does anyone know the process of obtaining a lodging license in Boston, MA? Or who to speak to? It’s been extremely difficult getting information about this from the city and I keep getting redirected to different city departments. If someone has experience or knowledge with this, please let me know!

@Austin Sheppard

I rent 18 units in Boston from landlords and am working on lodging licenses for some of the buildings. It’s extremely difficult to even find out how to get a lodging license, what the process is and who to contact. We’ve contacted multiple people in Boston and they redirect us to another person who then directs us to another person which then does not have a direct answer for us in what the process is.

What I do know is that if it is approved for a lodging license, it will be legal in Boston, and the building needs to be zoned for lodging. Some buildings are not zoned depending on where they are located. They also have to be inspected which I can’t even find out what the requirements are because no one even knows or can give me a direct answer. I’ve been trying for the past month to get answers to this and no one seems to know.

I’ll keep you updated if I find anything out!

@Elise Hazzard .. they just changed the laws in Boston. Effective 8/31/19. Has to be owner occupied or live next to the unit in a building you own.

@Braden Smith thank you for all this info!

@Greg Jeanfreau .. I am an LLC. We are insured. Our leases are signed under our LLC.

@Kimberly Jones thank you so much

@Syed Lateef - thank you so much and thank you for your advice! It’s encouraging to hear from someone doing the same thing as me in a different city and state!

@Lucas Carl .. I did google it. I like to also ask for peoples experience who have airnbs there. Clearly that hasnt happened. Instead, I’m getting opinions from people who tell me to buy and im doing it wrong. I’m not looking for people to hire me. I do it for myself. And we also clean 42 Airbnb’s in the Boston area for people who rent and own them. No need to hire Evolve around here. They’re popular in the NH, Cape Cod, Vermont area around here. It is an investment for me. It brings in massive cash flow. Which then in turn will allow me to invest in buying properties faster. A decent 3 family in Boston area typically goes for somewhere between 800K-over a mill. Again, I’m fairly new to the buying property game so I’d rather rent for now. I only have one 2 family in Wakefield which was $600,000. Wakefield is about 30 minutes from Boston and not a good Airbnb market and is better to rent to tenants and doesn’t bring in enough monthly cash flow to save fast to buy more properties. I’d rather rent and Airbnb. I don’t understand why I keep getting the same response from the same people. If you don’t want to deal with the thread then don’t answer. I wish I could delete this thread but BP won’t let me.

@John Lambert Thank you! I spoke to the Office Assistant of safety and permits in NO earlier this afternoon. NO has a specific department for short term rentals. In Boston, you’d contact the City Clerk Dept. to ask.