Newburyport, Mass., Code of Ordinances ch. 9, art. XI (2026) § 9-305

(a) Registration process. No operator shall offer a dwelling unit as an STRU without having first filed an application for approval therefor with the licensing board and obtaining the licensing board's final approval under this section 9-307 .
(1) A license for operation of said STRU shall be valid for one (1) year from the date of issuance.
(2) The operator shall also certify under penalty of perjury that he/she and the dwelling unit complies with all the requirements of this article.
(3) An operator registered with the licensing board may only hold and operate one (1) STRU license for an OO-STRU or INV-STRU as defined in Newburyport zoning ordinance during any licensing year.
(4) Upon approval by the licensing board, the dwelling unit approved as an STRU shall be issued a registration number by the licensing board.
(5) Upon submission of license applications, and from time to time, as deemed necessary by the licensing board or its designee, the licensing board may compare registration information to other information managed and maintained by the city, in order to effectively verify compliance with the provisions of this article.
(6) The licensing board shall make each approval of an STRU, and related documentation including the application, decision, and any supplemental documents, available electronically via the city website within thirty (30) days of such addition.
(b) Application for registration. Each application for registration of an STRU shall include the following information:
(1) Name, address, primary phone number and secondary phone number of both the operator and the emergency contact, if different;
(2) Evidence that the operator is the record owner of the STRU, or is legally authorized to act in relation to the STRU as the record owner;
(3) Address of the STRU;
(4) The zoning district(s) of the STRU, and evidence of a valid STRU special permit or that an STRU special permit application is pending (if applicable);
(5) STRU category: Owner Occupied (OO-STRU), Investor (INV-STRU), or Plum Island (Pl-STRU)
(6) Massachusetts Department of Revenue identification number, if already obtained;
(7) Evidence of zoning determination or grant of any required relief from Newburyport zoning ordinance (e.g. special permit)
(8) Evidence of a valid liability insurance policy (INV-STRU only). Attestation of a valid liability policy (OO-STRU and PI-STRU).
(c) Application fees. A fee of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per STRU shall be due with each application to register rental units as STRUs.
(d) Action upon application. Upon submission of a complete, application, including all required materials and payment of the required fee:
(1) The licensing board shall notify the applicant in writing of the place, date, and time of the public meeting at which it will consider and act on the application. Such meeting will be held within thirty (30) days after the date upon which the licensing board determines that the application is complete.
(2) The licensing board shall approve or approve with conditions those applications for registration that meet the requirements of this article, and shall issue written notice of its decision within seven (7) days of its meeting, which notice shall be both (1) posted on the city website, and (2) sent by U.S. Mail to the applicant.
(3) Upon approval, the STRU shall be added to the short-term rental registry.
(e) Annual registration. Each STRU shall apply for approval annually prior to the expiration of its annual registration, in the same manner as the original application.
(f) Registration upon sale or change of ownership. Registration of an STRU shall not automatically transfer upon any sale or other transfer in ownership of such dwelling unit to a new operator. If a new operator wishes to continue to list such dwelling unit as an STRU, such new operator shall apply to the licensing board pursuant to this article to obtain a new, unique registration number. This requirement applies regardless of whether such sale or other transfer in ownership occurs before expiration of such dwelling unit's year of registration as an STRU.
(g) Amending registration upon change in owner occupancy. Unless an exception applies under section 9-305 , if an operator offering a dwelling unit as an STRU ceases to be a primary resident of such unit, then such operator shall immediately notify the licensing board, which shall cancel the license of the dwelling unit and remove the same from the short-term rental registry.
(h) Registration by booking agent. Nothing herein shall prohibit a booking agent from providing registration services on behalf of an operator with such operator's written consent.