Short-Term Rental Management in Lee, MA

Why Guests Come to Lee

• The Turnpike exit. Lee Premium Outlets sits off Exit 10 (old Exit 2) of Interstate 90, and that same exit is the front door for guests heading to Lenox, Stockbridge and Becket. A Lee address is easy to find and easy to reach.
• Lee Premium Outlets. The outlet center has about 60 stores laid out like a New England village, which brings shopping trips in every season.
• October Mountain State Forest. Massachusetts' largest state forest, 16,460 acres, has land in Lee along with Becket, Lenox and Washington. Hikers, paddlers and campers use it from spring through fall.
• Jacob's Pillow. The nation's longest-running international dance festival is in neighboring Becket. In 2026 it ran June 24 through August 30, after a June 20 opening gala.
• Tanglewood next door. The Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer season in Lenox (June 21 to September 2 in 2026) fills beds across Lee too, since Lenox limits its own whole-home rentals.

The Lee Rental Year

Summer is Lee's busy season, built on the Tanglewood and Jacob's Pillow calendars and on families using the town as a base for the whole southern Berkshires. Foliage weekends in late September and October bring a second wave. Winter is slower, with guests drawn by Berkshire skiing, holidays and the outlets; mud season in spring is the quietest stretch. Because Lee has no day cap in its bylaw, an owner here can keep a calendar open year-round, which suits mid-length stays in the off season as well as weekend trips. Our seasonal pricing guide explains how rates move through a year like this.

Short-Term Rental Rules in Lee

Lee regulates rentals through Zoning Bylaw section 199-9.13, Short-Term Rentals, adopted December 6, 2023 and amended at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting. As of October 2026, the main points are:

• Registration. Every short-term rental unit must be registered with the Land Use Department. The town's registration page lists a $100 fee. Registrations expire every June 30, and you receive a Lee STR Registration Number that stays the same year to year.
• What you file. A floor plan showing guest areas, exits, fire extinguishers and alarms; the maximum occupancy; contact details for the owner, booking agent and property manager; your Massachusetts DOR certificate; proof of liability insurance; a septic or sewer statement (for septic, the bedrooms rated under the permit and the date the tank was last pumped); and, for a well, a statement that it was tested in the past five years and found potable.
• Who may own one. Property owned by a corporation, trust or partnership is not eligible, with a narrow exception for an entity whose main asset is a single one- or two-unit Lee property that is the primary residence of its majority owner. Affordable or income-restricted housing and properties with open code violations are also ineligible.
• A local property manager. Each rental needs a property manager who lives 30 miles or less from it, keeps a 24-hour phone number and responds within two hours to any problem a tenant reports.
• Parking and trash. Off-street parking equal to the number of rental bedrooms plus one, and trash removed at least weekly.
• Guests and events. No renting to anyone under 18, no business or sales meetings, no events with tents or outdoor amplified music, and no gatherings over twice the advertised occupancy.
• Ads and posting. Every listing must show the Lee registration number and maximum occupancy. Inside, post the property manager's contact details, a property boundary map and instructions for any fireplace or wood or pellet stove.

Questions go to Town Planner Brooke Healy at 413-243-5517, at the Land Use Office, 32 Main Street. Building code and inspection questions go to the Building Department at 413-243-5518; that office also handles the periodic short-term rental inspections the state building code (780 CMR) now requires.

State tax. Lee charges a 6% local room occupancy excise, in effect since April 2010, on top of the 5.7% state excise, and the state databank lists no community impact fee. See the Massachusetts short-term rental laws page for DOR registration and insurance.

Running a Rental in Lee

• Septic and wells. Many homes outside the village are on septic and private wells. The bylaw makes you state the septic bedroom rating and well test date, so pull those records before you register, and do not advertise more bedrooms than the septic permit allows.
• Wood stoves. If guests may use one, the instructions must be posted; a metal ash can with a lid is sensible too.
• Snow. The parking rule means your driveway has to be plowed and usable before guests arrive. Our winter rental management page explains how we handle storms.

How New England Host Co Works in Lee

New England Host Co manages short-term rentals across Massachusetts, and every home must be within 45 minutes of its crew's base, so send us your Lee address and we will confirm. Housekeeping and an inspection happen after every stay, pricing is reviewed daily with PriceLabs, and cleaning and trades are done by local crews and vendors we engage and manage. Lee's 30-mile property manager rule is one to settle before you register; ask us how it would apply to your home. License, permit and inspection fees stay with the owner. Start with the contact page. Nearby towns are on our Western Mass and Berkshires page.

FAQ

Does Lee Require Short-Term Rental Registration?

Yes. Section 199-9.13 of the Lee Zoning Bylaw requires every short-term rental to register with the Land Use Department. The town lists a $100 fee, and registrations expire each June 30.

Can an LLC Own a Short-Term Rental in Lee?

The bylaw makes property owned by a corporation, trust or partnership ineligible, except an entity whose main asset is a single one- or two-unit Lee property that is the primary residence of its majority owner. Ask the Town Planner how your ownership is treated.

How Much Parking Do I Need?

Off-street spaces on or next to the property at least equal to the number of rental bedrooms, plus one.

Is There a Limit on Rental Days in Lee?

The bylaw does not set an annual day cap. It regulates eligibility, occupancy, management, parking and safety instead.

This page is general information as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice; confirm with the Town of Lee before you list.