North Truro, MA

A: The town of Truro has a zoning by-law that limits the use of condominiums to seasonal use only. The dates of permitted use are April 1 through November 30. You may not occupy your unit between December 1- March 31. Often times the association will drain the water and turn off the utilities during this period. There is an exception included in this by-law which allows for one unit in each complex to be lived in year-round as a “manager’s unit.”

By contrast, there is no law against using property year-round in Provincetown. If a unit is noted as “seasonal” and it is located in Provincetown, it is likely that the unit is not insulated or that the pipes are not deep enough in the ground to avoid freezing. Many of the cottages in the beach point area of Provincetown are seasonal simply because they were never built with year round use in mind. Each association can decide for itself how the property will be used; a seasonal association in Provincetown may vote to change to year round, but they would have to make sure that the utilities and the units themselves are sufficiently insulated for year round use.