Rental Management in Lowell and the Merrimack Valley, MA

Why Guests Come to Lowell

• UMass Lowell. The university brings visiting families, faculty, researchers and contractors through the academic year, and the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell hosts hockey, concerts and commencement crowds.
• Lowell National Historical Park. The National Park Service tells the story of the city's textile mills and canals across downtown.
• The Lowell Folk Festival. The free festival filled downtown stages July 24 to 26, 2026, and has set July 23 to 25, 2027 for its 40th year.
• Health care and project work. Traveling nurses, medical staff and contractors on local projects often need furnished housing for a month or more.
• Commuter rail. The MBTA Lowell Line runs to Boston's North Station, which makes Lowell workable for people on Boston projects.

The Lowell Rental Year

Because Lowell rentals have to run at least 30 days, the rental year follows work and school calendars more than tourist seasons. Late August and January bring people starting semesters and contracts. Summer brings interns, visiting researchers and families relocating to the area, with Folk Festival weekend as the city's biggest event. With stays measured in months, turnover is lower and a gap between tenants matters more than the monthly rate. Our mid-term rental guide covers how furnished monthly stays work in New England.

Short-Term Rental Rules in Lowell

The City of Lowell's Development Services page on accessory dwelling units says, as of October 2026: "Short Term Rentals (STRs) are NOT allowed in the City of Lowell. All residential rental units must be rented for a minimum of thirty (30) days."

Background that explains the position:

• In an April 2021 memo to the City Manager, the Director of Development Services wrote that the Zoning Ordinance has no clear category for short-term rentals, that a proposed "tourist home" definition with city registration was tabled by the City Council, and that "Development Services has been treating short-term rentals as illegal in all zones in the City."
• The accessory dwelling unit zoning ordinance the City Council took up in 2023 defines a short-term rental as rooms rented to transients for less than 28 days and states that short-term rentals are prohibited in both the primary and the accessory dwelling unit.

What that means for an owner:

1. Do not list a Lowell home for nightly or weekly stays.
2. A furnished rental of 30 days or more is the lawful path. Treat it as a residential tenancy, with a written lease and the protections Massachusetts tenants have.
3. A stay of 30 or 31 days still falls inside the state room excise, which covers short-term rentals of 31 days or less. Many owners set 32 nights as the minimum to stay clear of both rules.
4. Ask Development Services at City Hall, 375 Merrimack Street, at 978-674-4144 before you change how a property is used.

State Rules and Room Tax

If you rent any stay of 31 days or less anywhere in Massachusetts, you register with the Department of Revenue and collect room tax; see our Massachusetts short-term rental laws page. The Division of Local Services databank (read 6 October 2026) lists Lowell's local room excise at 6% since January 2010, with no community impact fee. Our room occupancy tax page has the details.

The Rest of the Merrimack Valley

Neighboring towns set their own zoning, so Lowell's position does not carry over. The same DLS report lists a 6% local room excise in Chelmsford (since October 2009), Tewksbury (since July 2011) and Billerica (since April 2012), and none in Dracut. None of the four lists a community impact fee. Before you list in any of them, ask that town's building or zoning office whether short-term rentals are allowed in your district.

Running a Rental in Lowell

• Leases, not house rules. A 30-plus-day guest is usually a tenant, so use a lease written for furnished monthly rentals and follow Massachusetts security deposit rules if you collect one.
• Furnish for working guests. A desk, fast internet, laundry and off-street parking matter more to a nurse or engineer than decor.
• Winter parking. Lowell declares snow emergencies that restrict on-street parking. Tell tenants where to move their cars.
• Multi-family buildings. Much of Lowell's housing is two- and three-family. Check smoke and CO alarms and egress in every unit you furnish.

How New England Host Co Works in Lowell

New England Host Co covers Massachusetts statewide, and today we manage homes in the Worcester area. Every home we take on has to be within 45 minutes of the base its crew works from, so send us your Lowell or Merrimack Valley address and we will confirm. In Lowell we would only list a home for stays the city allows. Our listings run on platforms including Furnished Finder, Airbnb and Vrbo, with housekeeping and an inspection between stays and pricing reviewed daily in PriceLabs. Ask for a free property analysis on our contact page or at (978) 672-4578, and see more of the region on our North of Boston page.

FAQ

Can I Run an Airbnb in Lowell?

Not for short stays. As of October 2026, the City of Lowell says short-term rentals are not allowed and residential rentals must be at least 30 days. Furnished monthly rentals are the lawful option.

Does the State Room Tax Apply to a 30-Day Lowell Rental?

It can. The Massachusetts room excise covers short-term rentals of 31 days or less, so a 30- or 31-night stay is taxable. A minimum of 32 nights avoids it.

Are Short-Term Rentals Allowed in Chelmsford, Dracut or Tewksbury?

Each town decides through its own zoning, and we have not confirmed each one's rules for this page. Ask the town's building or zoning office before you list.

This page is general information as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice.