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Zoning Ordinances

Each city and town in the Tufts area has seperate Zoning Laws. In Medford, the zoning ordinance allows no more than three unrelated individuals to live together in one unit. In Somerville, the zoning ordinance allows no more than four unrelated individuals to live together in one unit.

A few terms utilized in defining the type of dwelling unit habitable by a family or unrelated people are as follows:

• Family: one or more persons related by blood, adoption, or marriage, living and cooking together as a single nonprofit housekeeping unit; provided, that a group of five or more persons who are not related by blood, adoption, or marriage shall not be deemed to constitute a family (as defined by the City of Medford Zoning Department).
• Lodging House: a dwelling in which living space, without individual kitchens and with or without kitchen privileges, is let for compensation to four or more persons who are not within the second degree of kinship to the owner or operator as defined by civil law, but not including hotel, dormitory, fraternity, sorority, or other building of institutional or educational use (as defined by the City of Medford Zoning Department).
• A Boarding House: a residential use that provides four or more rental boarding rooms for four or more unrelated individuals, for occupancy longer than a 14-day period. A boarding house shall include a lodging house, rooming house, and single-room occupancy dwelling (as defined by the City of Somerville Zoning Department).

To find out more about zoning laws, contact the City Inspectional Services or City Zoning Board in Boston, Medford, or Somerville.