Provincetown Short-Term Rental Rules
This page summarizes what a property owner needs to know to legally operate a short-term rental (Airbnb, VRBO, or direct bookings under 32 days) in Provincetown, MA. It's an editorial summary, not legal advice — confirm specifics with town hall or a local attorney before listing a property.
Registration & Permits
Provincetown requires an annual Short-Term Rental Registration and a life-safety inspection. Owner-occupied, non-owner-occupied, and investor units are tracked separately.
Taxes & Fees
5.7% state + 6% local + 2.75% Cape & Islands Water Protection Fund = ~14.45% total. Provincetown does NOT charge the additional 3% professionally-managed surcharge.
Occupancy & Density Caps
Two persons per bedroom plus two additional; no unrelated-occupant limits. Parking minimums apply for most units.
Enforcement
High. Provincetown has the most active STR enforcement on the Cape and routinely audits unregistered listings.
Buying a Provincetown STR investment?
CapeIntel analyzes every active Provincetown listing for projected STR revenue, cash-on-cash return, flood risk, and walking distances. See what's on the market and which properties pencil.