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  1. Home
  2. ·
  3. Regulations
  4. ·
  5. Massachusetts
  6. ·
  7. Great Barrington

Great Barrington

Moderate
MassachusettsUpdated Apr 13, 2026
Gold-standard verification1% sourced

Cross-referenced against 3 official sources — municipal codes, planning-department pages, and government registries.

Verified Jan 30, 2026Sources 3

Summary

Plain-english overview

The Town of Great Barrington requires all short-term rental operators to register annually and pay a $200 fee. Regulations differentiate between primary residents and non-primary residents, with limits on the total number of STR properties an individual may own.

Restriction level

Severity 29
Classification
Moderate
29
Severity

Why this classification

  • Standard permit fee: $200
  • Limited to 2 properties per owner
  • Tenants cannot host
  • Permit required
  • Reporting required
  • No night cap
  • No primary residence requirement

In plain English

What this means for you

To host an Airbnb in Great Barrington, you must first register your home with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue to get a tax ID. Once you have that, you must apply for a local permit through the Town's online portal and pay a $200 annual fee. You are limited to operating a maximum of two properties in town, and you must ensure you have at least $1 million in liability insurance. Airbnb and VRBO will usually collect the 11.7% total tax for you, but you still need to keep your local registration current every year.

At a glance

Key numbers
Permit requiredYes
Night limitNone
Primary residenceNot required
Total tax rate0.1%
Permit fee$200
Processing time2-4 weeks

6 things hosts often miss

Common compliance gaps
  1. 1No more than 2 short-term rental registrations are allowed per owner.
  2. 2The town strictly enforces a 2-guest-per-bedroom plus 2 limit.
  3. 3Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) built after May 2022 cannot be used as short-term rentals.
  4. 4You must provide guests with a 24/7 local emergency contact.
  5. 5Short-term rentals are stays of 31 days or fewer; longer stays are exempt from these specific rules.
  6. 6A state tax registration from MassTaxConnect is a mandatory prerequisite for the town permit.

Regulation details

Sourced from official code
Eligibility12 rules
  • Great Barrington prohibits STRs in the following property types: Affordable housing units, ADUs built after 2022, Travel trailers/RVs.
  • Great Barrington does NOT require the property to be a primary residence. Investment properties are allowed.
  • Great Barrington limits hosts to a maximum of 2 STR properties per owner.
Requirements19 rules
  • Great Barrington requires liability insurance for STR hosts. Minimum coverage: 1,000,000. Must cover short-term rental use specifically.
  • Great Barrington STR warning: You must provide guests with a 24/7 local emergency contact.
  • Great Barrington STR warning: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) built after May 2022 cannot be used as short-term rentals.
Application process10 rules
  • Step-by-step guide to get an STR permit in Great Barrington: Step 1: Register with MA Department of Revenue - Obtain a Certificate of Registration through MassTaxConnect for Room Occupancy Excise tax. Estimated time: Instant. More info: https://mtc.dor.state.ma.us/mtc/_/ Step 2: Apply for Town Registration - Submit an application via the Great Barrington online portal (ViewPoint Cloud). Documents needed: Certificate of Registration, Liability Insurance, Floor Plan. Estimated time: 2 weeks. Cost: 200. More info: https://greatbarringtonma.viewpointcloud.com/ Step 3: Health and Safety Inspection - Schedule and pass a safety inspection by the Fire or Health Department if required for your specific unit type. Estimated time: 1-2 weeks.
Fees & costs1 rule
  • Great Barrington charges a registration fee of $200 (annual).
Taxes3 rules
  • Great Barrington: A state tax registration from MassTaxConnect is a mandatory prerequisite for the town permit.
  • Massachusetts has a state sales tax of 5.7% that applies to STR rentals.
Limits & restrictions6 rules
  • Great Barrington limits STRs to a maximum of 2 guests. Formula: 2 per bedroom plus 2 additional guests
  • Great Barrington, MA occupancy calculation: 2 per bedroom plus 2 additional guests. Count your bedrooms to determine your max guest limit.
  • Great Barrington occupancy calculation: 2 per bedroom plus 2 additional guests. Count your bedrooms to determine your max guest limit.
Safety requirements1 rule
  • Great Barrington requires the following safety measures for STRs: smoke detectors, CO detectors, fire extinguisher, fire inspection, posted maximum occupancy, posted emergency contact, Floor plan showing egress, Trash disposal plan.
Penalties3 rules
  • Great Barrington, MA: Repeated violations can result in permanent permit revocation. You would lose the ability to operate any STR.
  • Great Barrington: Repeated violations can result in permanent permit revocation. You would lose the ability to operate any STR.
Exemptions4 rules
  • Great Barrington: Short-term rentals are stays of 31 days or fewer; longer stays are exempt from these specific rules.
  • Great Barrington exempts the following from STR regulations: long-term rentals (30+ days), extended stays.
  • Great Barrington: Rentals of 30+ days are generally NOT considered short-term rentals and may be exempt from STR regulations (but may have other requirements).

Frequently asked questions

5 answered

Disclaimer

Regulatory information is AI-researched from public city/county codes for educational purposes. Details may be outdated or incomplete. Always verify requirements directly with your city/county planning department before operating a short-term rental.

Researched & verified by Learn STR at GoStudioM

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