Rental Rules by City / Massachusetts / Provincetown (Cape Cod)

    Provincetown (Cape Cod) short-term rental rules & tax calculator

    Barnstable County, Massachusetts · Verified against official sources Oct 24, 2026

    📋 The Basics

    Can I rent my place short-term here?
    Yes, with a permit
    Do I need a permit?
    Yes. A yearly Short-Term Rental Certificate for each unit.
    What taxes do I pay?
    Total about 14.45%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

    Your 3 steps to be legal

    1. Apply for the Town certificate.
    2. Register with MassTaxConnect.
    3. Check if the 3% impact fee applies to you.

    ⚠️ Biggest risk: Renting a unit without its certificate.

    Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.

    Tax calculator

    Rates used: MA state room occupancy excise 5.7% + Provincetown local room occupancy excise 6% + Cape Cod & Islands Water Protection Fund 2.75% = 14.45%. Mandatory cleaning fees are included in the taxable total. 14.45% total; professionally managed units owing the 3% community impact fee pay 17.45% (not in calculator default).

    What Airbnb collects: Platforms generally collect MA room occupancy excise: verify in payouts.

    This is the general rule for Provincetown (Cape Cod). Does your address qualify?

    The free info covers the city as a whole. Your property can still be different: zoning can change from one street to the next, and an HOA or condo ban can stop rentals even where the city allows them.

    Your $49 Compliance Check looks at your exact property:

    🔎 How we check: official city, county and state sources, a last-verified date on every page, and nothing guessed. Learn more

    Check my address: $49

    🔔 Stay notified: $4.99/month

    Rules don't change every week, but they do change, and nobody emails you when they do. We'll alert you when city rules, tourist taxes, HOA-related laws, or Airbnb/Vrbo policies change in Provincetown (Cape Cod). Cancel anytime.

    Stay notified

    Need guest waivers and booking tools too? Click here for more info

    Why use this instead of a web search?

    Instead of scattered, sometimes outdated pages, you get the city, county and state rules on one page, with official sources linked, a last-checked date, and unconfirmed items marked "verify" instead of guessed. How we verify →

    Advanced details (laws, fees, sources)

    Rules

    CertificateA Short-Term Rental Certificate is required for each unit rented 31 days or less.
    Fees$750 per unit per year: verify current fee schedule.
    StateRegister with Massachusetts DOR (MassTaxConnect) for room occupancy excise.

    Items marked "Verify with the city" could not be confirmed from an official source; call the office listed before relying on them.

    Sources

    Free tools

    Free "Is my rental legal?" checklist · Free tourist tax calculator

    Rules can change

    Provincetown (Cape Cod)'s rules, its tax rates and platform policies can change through a council vote, a new state law or a court ruling, often with little notice to hosts. We re-check this page monthly; subscribers get notified. Stay Compliant for $4.99/mo.

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    Not legal or tax advice. Last verified Oct 24, 2026. Rules and rates change: confirm with the official sources linked before you rent or file.