Not every listing sits empty and staged. In a rental-heavy market like Greater Boston, it's routine for an investment property, owner-occupied multi-family, or even a single-family home mid-tenancy to need photos taken while people are still living there. It's more work to coordinate, but it's very doable when planned right.
Give real notice
Massachusetts law generally requires landlords to give tenants reasonable advance notice before entering a unit for a showing or inspection-type purpose (photography falls in that category) — as a practical matter, 24-48 hours' written notice is the norm and avoids friction. Confirm your lease's specific notice requirements and any local ordinance rules rather than assuming a blanket standard.
Set expectations about what will be photographed
Tenants understandably don't want their personal belongings, family photos, or messy laundry appearing in public MLS and Zillow listings. Ahead of the shoot, ask tenants to clear personal items from surfaces and put away anything they wouldn't want online — most tenants are cooperative when asked directly and given enough lead time, especially if the landlord frames it as a shared interest in a smooth sale.
Decide what gets photographed and what doesn't
If a tenant genuinely can't prep a room in time, or asks that a specific space not be shown, it's usually fine to shoot around it — a listing doesn't need to show every single room to be effective, and skipping a cluttered bedroom is better than showing it looking bad. Communicate this plan to your photographer before the shoot so nothing is a surprise on-site.
Timing around tenants' schedules
Early morning or mid-day slots, when tenants are typically at work, tend to be easiest to coordinate and produce the calmest, most photo-ready spaces. If the unit can't be fully prepped, a shorter, more targeted shoot (kitchen, living room, exterior) is often better than forcing full coverage in a rushed, cluttered space.
Multi-family specifics
When only some units in a building are occupied, plan the shoot around whichever units are actually available, and be upfront with your photographer about which units to expect access to. See our multi-family and three-decker photography guide for more on coordinating a building with multiple units.
The bottom line
None of this is legal advice — always confirm specific notice and access requirements with your attorney or property manager for your situation. But with reasonable notice, clear communication, and a little flexibility about what gets shown, an occupied listing can photograph just as well as an empty one.