South Hadley, Mass., Code of Bylaws ch 136 § 136-7
Licensing (South Hadley Residential Short-Term Rental Units)
Operative Text
A. Application process and requirements. License applications shall be made on forms approved by the Town, and shall provide such information as the Building Commissioner shall deem reasonable and appropriate. Completed applications shall be submitted to the appropriate Building Department. Complete license applications shall be reviewed, and licenses shall be issued within 14 working days from the date of submission. A license application shall identify the total number of rental units on the property. Information required as part of a license application shall include: (1) Contact information. Name(s) and current contact information, including but not limited to mailing address, telephone number and email address, for all owners, or agent of the owner, and person who can be contacted 24 hours a day/seven days a week in case of emergency. (2) A list of each room, including bedrooms, offices, dens, living rooms, kitchen, sunroom, in the dwelling unit. The list shall include for each room: i) whether or not the room will be rented; ii) the maximum number of overnight guests that will be allowed. (3) An affidavit certifying that the owner will comply with all of the provisions of the Residential short-term rental Property Bylaw. (4) Compliance Through Self-Certification. Evidence of current compliance with all applicable local zoning and regulations, as well as state health, fire and building codes, shall be provided through submission of an owner's self-inspection and certification checklist provided by the Town. (5) Complete and accurate information required. No incomplete application will be accepted. It shall be a violation of this bylaw for anyone to knowingly provide false or misleading information on an application, and may constitute grounds for fines and other penalties hereunder. (6) Certification by the applicant that the applicant is the owner-occupant of the principal residence which is the subject matter of the application. (7) The applicant shall provide certification that there are no deed restrictions on the property and if there are, that short term rentals do not violate said restrictions. The applicant must provide a copy of any restrictions. B. Renewal. Licenses shall be valid for a period to begin on July 1 and shall end on June 30, regardless of when a license is applied for or approved and issued. Completed applications for license renewals shall be submitted and received by June 15 of each calendar year. C. License posted. A license shall be conspicuously posted and maintained within the premises in a common area or area as is necessary to be visible to tenants and inspectors. D. Transferability. Licenses shall not be transferable upon a change of ownership. E. Limits on number of licenses. (1) Total number. Limits on the total number of licenses shall be 25 total active units or less at any one time. Of the total number of active units, no more than five shall be non-owner-occupied. (2) Per-owner limit. Only one short-term rental license is allowed per owner in total.
South Hadley, Mass., Code of Bylaws CH. 136 § 136-7 establishes a licensing framework for short-term rental properties in South Hadley. Owners must submit a detailed application to the Building Department, which includes contact information, a room-by-room inventory, self-certification of code compliance, and confirmation of owner-occupancy and any deed restrictions. The town caps total active short-term rental licenses at 25, with no more than five allowed for non-owner-occupied properties, and each owner is limited to one license. Licenses run on a July 1–June 30 cycle and are not transferable when a property changes hands.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under CH. 136 § 136-7, compliant short-term rental operators in South Hadley submit a fully completed application to the Building Department on the Town's approved forms, ensuring all contact details, room lists, and self-inspection checklists are accurate and complete. Operators renew annually by submitting their renewal application by June 15, post their license conspicuously within the premises, and do not attempt to transfer the license if the property is sold. Because the provision explicitly treats knowingly false or misleading application information as a bylaw violation subject to fines and other penalties, operators generally take care to verify every detail before signing the required affidavit.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
CH. 136 § 136-7 requires that a valid short-term rental license be conspicuously posted in a common area or other visible location within the premises, giving occupants a straightforward way to confirm that the property is properly licensed. If a license is not posted, or if there is reason to believe the property is operating outside the town's 25-unit cap or the owner-occupancy requirements, tenants and guests may raise those concerns with South Hadley's Building Department, which is responsible for reviewing applications and issuing licenses under this provision. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Massachusetts short-term rental law can help individuals understand what options may be available when a property appears to be operating in violation of § 136-7.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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