Defending Short-Term Rentals Against City Regulation

• Published date: 21 September 2023
• Law Firm: Rich May
• Author: Mr David Glod and James B. Heffernan

Recently, the City of Quincy attempted to shut down a client's ability to rent part of her home on Airbnb. We defended the client in a hearing in July, and this week the court ruled against the City and in favor of our client.

Many municipalities including Quincy have recently been tightening their regulation of short-term property rentals through services like Airbnb. On March 15, 2021, Quincy passed a zoning ordinance imposing new registration and licensing requirements on rentals for fewer than 31 days. The ordinance also banned all short-term rentals in the Residence A zoning district where the client's home is located.

The City initially wanted to leave the decision to the Quincy Zoning Board of Appeals by having the client seek a variance permitting the short-term rental use. But a variance was not the appropriate process in this case, and worse, risked having the client...