Otis, Mass., Code of Bylaws ch 108 § 108-2

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated: AJH (AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION) Zoning Enforcement Officer; Building Inspections Department. BOOKING AGENT Any person or entity that applies for a permit to license a STR, facilitates reservations, collects payments or is listed as the emergency contact for a STR on behalf of or for an operator. (see "operator's agent.") EMERGENCY CONTACT An operator/owner, trustee or designee or booking agent that is available 24 hours/seven days per week and has contact with the occupant for fire, police, Building Inspector, Otis Board of Health. LICENSE FOR STR A processed permit to license a dwelling located in Otis, Massachusetts, as a STR for monetary or in-kind gain. The STR license is accompanied by a fee (see Schedule) from the AHJ. The license term runs for one year from January 1 to December 31. A license is terminated upon the sale of a property and must be reapplied for. NONCONFORMING WASTEWATER DISPOSAL SYSTEM 310 CMR 15.000: a cesspool or cesspit. NON-OWNER-OCCUPIED STR A dwelling that is not occupied by an operator/owner, operator/owner adjacent. OCCUPANT Any person or persons occupying a dwelling unit, a bedroom or bedrooms within a dwelling unit, functioning as a STR for a duration of less than 31 consecutive days, that is counted in the calculation for adult occupancy per assessed bedroom. OPERATOR/OWNER The natural person who is the owner of the residence that he/she seeks to offer as a STR. Only one owner may be registered as an operator on the application for permit or provisional permit to license the STR. No other person may be listed as operator even if that person is an owner or trustee and meets the qualifications of primary resident. OPERATOR/OWNER-ADJACENT STR A dwelling unit that is not the primary residence of the operator/owner but is located within an owner-occupied residential building (e.g., condominiums or multifamily dwelling) or the operator/owner is on the same Town-assessed plat or an abutting plat with at least one contiguous property line and the operator/owner actively lives in the condominium complex, the multifamily dwelling or the adjacent dwelling sharing a contiguous property line. OPERATOR/OWNER-OCCUPIED STR A single-family dwelling unit of two or more individual bedrooms as verified by the Town of Otis Assessor that is the primary residence of its operator/owner and a minimum of one bedroom is occupied by the operator/owner. The operator/owner actively lives in the dwelling unit during the rental period; a two-family or multifamily dwelling unit where one unit is occupied as the primary residence of the operator/owner and the additional unit(s) offered for STR. OPERATOR'S AGENT Any person or entity that applies for a permit to license a STR, facilitates reservations, collects payments or is listed as the emergency contact for a STR on behalf of or for an operator (see "booking agent"). PARKING Off-street parking required. The minimum number of off-street parking spaces provided shall be one parking space per registered bedroom, plus one additional space. PARTIALLY EXEMPT PROPERTIES A STR property which meets the requirements of operator/owner occupied-STR, operator/owner-adjacent STR or resident operator/owner-nonadjacent STR. PROVISIONAL PERMIT A permit for a dwelling with a nonconforming wastewater disposal system to be used as STR. A provisional permit will be issued only once and will expire at the end of two years. A STR with a provisional permit that wishes to continue renting in any capacity, whether short-term or long-term, will have the two-year period prior to expiration to become compliant with 310 CMR 15.000 (Title 5). The process for obtaining a STR license after the expiration of a provisional permit will be through an expedited hearing with the BOH. RESIDENT OPERATOR/OWNER-NONADJACENT STR A permanent resident of the Town of Otis who may qualify for partially exempt status for a single, nonadjacent property, short-term rental. This may be in addition to an operator/owner-occupied STR and an operator/owner-adjacent STR. SHORT-TERM RENTAL, STR or STRS Any rental of a residential dwelling unit, or bedroom or bedrooms within a dwelling unit, in exchange for monetary payment or in-kind nonmonetary barter, as residential accommodations for a duration of fewer than 31 consecutive days and rented or exchanged for rental for a period greater than 14 days total within a calendar year.