Why rent your Vineyard home?
A Martha’s Vineyard home is one of the most sought-after summer rentals in New England. Families come back to the same house year after year, the season is long enough to matter, and a well-run rental can cover a large share of what it costs to own a home here, while you keep the weeks you love for yourself.
It also comes with real work. Massachusetts now treats every short-term rental as a lodging business, with registration, an 11.7% occupancy tax on Vineyard bookings (14.45% in Oak Bluffs), an insurance requirement and town rules that are changing fast. Add inquiries, contracts, deposits, turnovers and the 10 pm call about the hot water, and it is easy to see why so many owners are tired.
This guide covers all of it, so you can decide how you want to rent: on your own, with an agency, or with us.
The short version
- Register each rental with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and get a Certificate of Registration. It is free and takes about twenty minutes.
- Make sure occupancy tax is collected and paid on every booking: 11.7% in every Vineyard town (5.7% state plus 6% local), plus the 2.75% Water Protection Fund excise in Oak Bluffs.
- Carry at least $1,000,000 of liability coverage for rentals, and tell your insurer in writing that you rent.
- Check your town’s own rules. West Tisbury and Tisbury have registration requirements; others are changing.
- Price by the week, by the season, and by what similar homes actually earn.
- Decide who answers guests, screens them, handles the money and looks after the house between stays.
Start with the question you have
Questions we hear
Do I need a license to rent my home on Martha’s Vineyard?
You need a Massachusetts Certificate of Registration from the Department of Revenue for each home you rent for 31 days or less, and some towns have their own registration on top. See our registration guide and town rules.
How much tax is charged on a Vineyard rental?
11.7% of the rent: 5.7% state room occupancy excise and 6% local excise, which all six island towns charge. Oak Bluffs adds the 2.75% Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund excise on stays from October 1, 2026, for 14.45% there. Cleaning, linen and booking fees count as rent. See the occupancy tax explained.
Can I still use my home in the summer if I rent it?
Yes. Most of our owners keep weeks for family. You block them yourself in your Owner Hub and we rent the rest.
Updated October 2026. General information, not tax or legal advice: rules and rates change, so confirm with the Department of Revenue, your town and your own advisor before acting.