Salem Clamps Down On Airbnb, Short-Term Landlords With New Rules

SALEM, MA -- New rules that go into effect in April will prohibit short-term rentals made popular by Websites like Airbnb from single-family residential zones in Salem. While the new rules passed by City Council on Thursday allow for short-term rentals in two-family residential zones, owners of the properties would need to register with the city and pay a $100 fee. The new rules essentially treat Airbnb and other short-term rentals as bed and breakfasts.

The ordinance proposed would not prohibit all short term rentals from R1 zones, the single-family residential zones. It would only prohibit non-owner occupied short-term rentals from these zones.

"The Massachusetts Lodging Association commends the City of Salem for taking this reasonable action that helps level the playing between short-term rental businesses and traditional lodgers," Paul Sacco, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Lodging Association said. "These new measures are yet another recognition by community leaders of the disruption that is caused in residential neighborhoods by unregulated Airbnb’s."

On Monday, City Council and the Salem Planning Board Monday night to determine if short-term rentals where the property owner lives on-site would be grandfathered in under the new rules. Salem property owners who rented their houses, apartments and spare bedrooms through Airbnb collected $400,000 in revenue last October, the busiest month for tourism in Salem, according to the company.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said the new rules would bar all Airbnb rentals from single-family (R1) residential zone. Those rentals are owned if the property owner lives on premises.

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).