Vacation Rental Management
Vacation Rental Management in Plymouth, MA
From the beaches along Cape Cod Bay to the freshwater ponds inland, Plymouth vacation homes earn most of their year between June and September; Fairly prices each night for that peak, lists the home on Airbnb, Vrbo and Fairly.com, and collects and remits every room occupancy excise.
4.8
Average review in Plymouth, MA
Fairly is an Airbnb Superhost, and our homes average 4.84 stars across 21,000+ guest reviews. Fewer than 4% of stays rate below four stars. Better reviews attract better guests, at higher prices, maximizing your revenue.
Plymouth market overview
Plymouth sells history and shoreline, and most guests come for both in summer. On the harbor, Pilgrim Memorial State Park holds Plymouth Rock and Mayflower II, and Plimoth Patuxet Museums runs the 17th-Century English Village and the Historic Patuxet Homesite south of downtown. Beyond the village, the town stretches along Cape Cod Bay through Manomet and Cedarville, and inland to dozens of ponds and Myles Standish State Forest, with swimming, paddling and trails. Route 3 links it to Boston to the north and the Cape Cod Canal to the south, so it draws both beach-week families and shorter sightseeing stays.
The calendar is steep. Among top-performing homes, occupancy reaches about 75% in July and two-thirds in August, at the year's highest nightly rates. June and September hold between 40% and 46%, and October still fills close to a third of its nights. From January through March, occupancy falls below 10%.
What homes earn in Plymouth, MA
The chart tracks top-performing vacation rentals across Plymouth: homes on Airbnb and Vrbo with a review score of 4.8 or higher that were available or rented at least 300 days of the year. Roughly four-fifths of their annual revenue arrives between June and September, led by July and August. Where a particular home lands depends on its water views or beach and pond access, how many guests it sleeps, and the outdoor space families use in summer. You can customize a projection for a specific home.
| Month | Total rent | Occupancy | Avg. daily rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | $858 | 8% | $346 |
| Feb | $713 | 9% | $283 |
| Mar | $638 | 7% | $294 |
| Apr | $1,715 | 15% | $381 |
| May | $2,403 | 19% | $408 |
| Jun | $6,575 | 45% | $487 |
| Jul | $12,663 | 74% | $552 |
| Aug | $11,340 | 67% | $546 |
| Sep | $5,683 | 41% | $462 |
| Oct | $3,560 | 29% | $396 |
| Nov | $1,928 | 18% | $357 |
| Dec | $1,609 | 15% | $346 |
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This is based on properties listed on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com with an average review score of 4.8 out of 5 or higher, limited to homes available or rented at least 300 days a year. Earnings vary based on the unique amenities and qualities of each home.
A guaranteed $5,000 increase in earnings
We guarantee that homeowners coming from self management or other managers will make an extra $5,000 in their first year with Fairly.
Vacation Rental Taxes and Regulations in Plymouth, MA
Can I rent my Plymouth home short-term?
Yes, in most cases. The Town of Plymouth governs all of it, from the harbor village to Manomet, Cedarville and the pond neighborhoods; Massachusetts has no unincorporated land. The Board of Health's short-term rental regulation licenses rentals in existing dwellings wherever residential use is permitted. It excludes subsidized or affordable-housing units, mobile homes, and dwellings without a permanent foundation. A home whose septic system does not conform to Title 5 receives only a provisional permit, which it can hold while the system is brought into compliance.
Room occupancy excise and the community impact fee
Stays of 31 days or fewer carry the 5.7% Massachusetts room occupancy excise and Plymouth's 6% local room occupancy excise, 11.7% together, on the whole guest charge including cleaning fees. Plymouth also levies the 3% short-term rental community impact fee, for 14.7% in all, on two kinds of unit: a professionally managed unit, meaning one of two or more rentals the same operator runs in Plymouth outside a one- to three-family house that is the operator's own residence, and a rental inside an owner-occupied two- or three-family house. Plymouth lies outside Barnstable County, so the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund excise does not apply. All of it is reported to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue on one monthly return.
Registering, state first
Each property is registered with the Department of Revenue through MassTaxConnect, which issues a Certificate of Registration to post inside the home. State law also requires at least $1 million of liability insurance per rental, unless the booking platform carries equal or greater coverage.
The town permit comes next. The owner applies to the Plymouth Department of Public Health through the town's short-term rental page, with proof of the state registration and the insurance; the town checks for unpaid local taxes and charges before it issues. A complete self-attestation form takes the place of a pre-rental inspection, though the department can inspect in response to complaints. The permit names an emergency contact reachable around the clock, and the home posts that contact alongside the permit, an exit diagram, the town's emergency-alert channels and evacuation map, and its Good Neighbor document. The permit renews every year and on sale of the home.
How Fairly handles it
Fairly registers your home for the Massachusetts room occupancy excise, collects the state and Plymouth excises, and the community impact fee where it applies, on every booking, and files and remits the monthly return. We also assist with the Department of Public Health permit application and its annual renewal.
Operating a vacation rental in Plymouth, MA
Operating in Plymouth means fitting most of the year's turnovers into about ten summer weeks, then keeping a largely empty house sound through a coastal winter of salt air and nor'easters.
A town short-term rental permit carries conditions that continue after it issues. Every home needs smoke detectors, a carbon monoxide detector on each level and a fire extinguisher at the kitchen. A septic system must have a pumping record no older than three years on file with the Department of Public Health, and well water used for drinking is retested every five years. For a whole home that is not the owner's residence, occupancy is capped at two adults over 16 per bedroom plus two, and lower if the septic system's capacity requires it. The operator keeps a record of how many guests stayed each visit for four months.
Frequently asked questions
Fairly charges a flat 20% commission on rental revenue, with no long-term contract and no hidden fees, and earns it only when your Plymouth home books. It covers listings on Airbnb, Vrbo and Fairly.com, nightly pricing, guest messaging, and collecting and remitting the room occupancy excises. Your caretaker is paid the cleaning fee guests pay plus a share of Fairly's commission.
Yes. The Town of Plymouth licenses short-term rentals in existing homes wherever residential use is permitted, from the harbor village to Manomet, Cedarville and the ponds. Register the property with the Department of Revenue first, then apply for the town's annual permit from the Department of Public Health. Subsidized affordable units and mobile homes are excluded, and a nonconforming septic system limits a home to a provisional permit.
Stays of 31 days or fewer carry the 5.7% state room occupancy excise and Plymouth's 6% local excise, 11.7% in all. Plymouth adds a 3% community impact fee, for 14.7%, on professionally managed units and on rentals in owner-occupied two- and three-family homes. Everything goes on one monthly Department of Revenue return, and Fairly collects and remits it on every booking.
July and August. Top-performing homes run near 75% occupancy in July and about two-thirds in August, at the year's highest nightly rates. June and September add shoulder weeks at 40% to 46%, and October fills close to a third of its nights. January through March drops below 10%, which makes winter the time for repairs and your own visits.
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Fairly Vacation Rental Management
Serving Plymouth, MA and neighboring areas
Available 24/7