Dukes County Landlord-Tenant Law

Dukes County Local Ordinances

Dukes County has no county-wide landlord-tenant ordinances. Local rules apply at the municipal level.

Last verified: 2026-03-15

Massachusetts Eviction Laws

State statutes that apply in Dukes County

A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Dukes County, Massachusetts

Dukes County is Martha’s Vineyard — the 87-square-mile island off the coast of Cape Cod that has been one of America’s most celebrated summer destinations for over a century. The county also technically includes the Elizabeth Islands and the tiny community of Gosnold, but Martha’s Vineyard is the economic and cultural heart of Dukes County in every meaningful sense. For landlords, Martha’s Vineyard presents one of the most extreme versions of the seasonal rental market dynamic found anywhere in the United States: a summer economy that generates extraordinary rental income compressed into a narrow peak season, alongside a year-round housing market that is among the most expensive and supply-constrained in Massachusetts.

The Island Economy and Its Housing Consequences

Martha’s Vineyard’s permanent population of approximately 20,000 swells to well over 100,000 during peak summer weeks. The island’s celebrity cachet — it has been a favored destination for American presidents, cultural figures, and the wealthy for generations — drives property values that bear no relationship to local income levels. Median home prices on the Vineyard regularly exceed $1 million, making owner-occupancy inaccessible for the vast majority of the island’s year-round workforce. The workers who staff the island’s restaurants, hotels, retail shops, healthcare facilities, and essential services compete for a genuinely scarce supply of year-round rental housing in a market where landlords can earn far more by renting to summer visitors than to year-round residents.

This dynamic creates a housing crisis that the island’s towns and county government grapple with constantly. The shortage of year-round workforce housing is among the most acute in Massachusetts, and community organizations, town governments, and regional housing authorities have invested significant effort in creating and preserving year-round affordable housing. For landlords considering the Martha’s Vineyard market, understanding this context is essential — the decision to operate as a year-round landlord versus a vacation rental landlord carries real community consequences on an island where year-round workers are genuinely struggling to remain.

The Vacation Rental Market

The summer rental market on Martha’s Vineyard operates at price points that can seem extraordinary to mainland landlords. A modest three-bedroom house in Edgartown or Oak Bluffs can command $10,000 to $20,000 per week during peak summer weeks, and even more modest properties in less central locations achieve rates that make the year-round rental income of comparable properties look modest by comparison. The summer rental market has been transformed by platforms that have made short-term vacation rental management more accessible, but the operational demands — turnover cleaning, maintenance between guests, regulatory compliance — are real and require active management or a reliable local property manager.

Each of the island’s six towns regulates short-term rentals differently. Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and Vineyard Haven have enacted rental regulations that may include registration requirements, occupancy limits, and noise and nuisance provisions. Before operating any vacation rental on Martha’s Vineyard, landlords must verify the specific requirements with the town in which the property is located. Massachusetts also requires short-term rental operators to collect and remit the state room occupancy excise tax — compliance with state and local tax obligations is mandatory.

Town Character and Market Segmentation

Martha’s Vineyard’s six towns each have distinct character that shapes their rental market dynamics. Edgartown, the county seat, is the island’s most upscale and historic town — a collection of Federal-era sea captains’ homes and manicured streetscapes that attracts the highest summer rental rates. Oak Bluffs, with its famous gingerbread Campground cottages, historic carousel, and livelier commercial atmosphere, has a more democratic and festive character. Vineyard Haven (officially Tisbury) is the island’s year-round commercial center and ferry port, and has the most active year-round rental market of the island’s towns. West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah — up-island — are quieter, more rural, and more expensive, with a concentration of high-end vacation properties and artists’ studios.

Massachusetts Law on the Island

All residential tenancies in Dukes County are governed by MGL Chapter 186 and Chapter 239, fully and without modification for the island’s geographic uniqueness. The Edgartown District Court handles summary process matters for Martha’s Vineyard — the island’s isolation means that court proceedings require ferry travel for mainland attorneys and parties, a logistical reality that landlords should factor into their planning for any eviction action. The Massachusetts Sanitary Code applies in full; the island’s older housing stock requires consistent maintenance investment to remain compliant. Security deposit compliance under MGL c.186 § 15B is mandatory and strictly enforced.

Investment Perspective

Martha’s Vineyard is not a market for beginning real estate investors. Acquisition prices are high, carrying costs are substantial, and the operational complexity of island property management — everything costs more and takes longer on an island — requires either active local presence or a trusted and capable property management relationship. For investors with the resources, the local knowledge, and the long-term perspective to navigate the market’s complexity, Martha’s Vineyard offers genuine wealth-building potential through appreciation and vacation rental income in one of New England’s most enduringly desirable destinations. The key decisions — vacation rental versus year-round, which town, which price tier — will determine whether the investment performs as expected or becomes a costly lesson in island economics.

Neighboring Massachusetts Counties

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