Maine Short-Term Rental Laws by City (2026)
Short-term rental rules in Maine are set city by city — a property that is legal to rent nightly in one town can be prohibited a few miles away. The table below covers 1 Maine city (1 human-verified against official sources), with each city's legal status, permit cost, and last-verified date.
Statewide short-term rental rules in Maine
Maine has no statewide short-term rental permit or license, and no state law preempts local control: under home-rule authority (30-A M.R.S. §3001), each municipality sets (or declines to set) its own STR rules, and ordinances carry a rebuttable presumption of validity. The state's main role is tax — a 9% sales tax on the rental of living quarters (36 M.R.S. §1811) applies to STR stays, and transient rental platforms like Airbnb/Vrbo must register with Maine Revenue Services and collect it; hosts who book directly must register and collect themselves unless they qualify for the casual-rental exemption (one unit, fewer than 15 days per year). The only state-level operating requirement is in the unorganized territories, where a no-fee LUPC notification rule took effect January 12, 2026.
Full statewide rules: permits, taxes & enforcement
Maine has no statewide short-term rental permit or license, and no state law preempts local control: under home-rule authority (30-A M.R.S. §3001), each municipality sets (or declines to set) its own STR rules, and ordinances carry a rebuttable presumption of validity. The state's main role is tax — a 9% sales tax on the rental of living quarters (36 M.R.S. §1811) applies to STR stays, and transient rental platforms like Airbnb/Vrbo must register with Maine Revenue Services and collect it; hosts who book directly must register and collect themselves unless they qualify for the casual-rental exemption (one unit, fewer than 15 days per year). The only state-level operating requirement is in the unorganized territories, where a no-fee LUPC notification rule took effect January 12, 2026.
Reviewed by the STR Rule Watch research team against 9 official sources. How we verify data
Maine statewide STR rules at a glance
| Legal status | Unregulated |
|---|---|
| Permit required | No |
| Owner occupancy required | No |
| Primary residence only | No |
| Total occupancy taxes | ~9% of gross revenue |
| Enforcement | STR enforcement is municipal, since all operating rules are local ordinances. |
State law & local authority
The state imposes no STR zoning in Maine's organized municipalities; zoning and STR restrictions are entirely local under home rule (30-A M.R.S. §3001), so rules range from no regulation to caps and bans depending on the town. In the unorganized and deorganized territories, the Land Use Planning Commission is the zoning authority and, effective January 12, 2026, requires owners of short-term rentals there to file a free notification (no permit).
State-level taxes
| Tax | Rate | Who collects |
|---|---|---|
| Maine sales tax on rental of living quarters (lodging rate)36 M.R.S. §1811. Transient rental platforms and room remarketers (e.g., Airbnb, Vrbo, OTAs) must register with Maine Revenue Services and collect/remit on facilitated bookings regardless of how few days the property is rented; hosts taking direct bookings must register as retailers and collect themselves. Exemptions: a person with only one rental unit rented fewer than 15 days per calendar year (36 M.R.S. §1764) and continuous occupancy of 28+ days meeting the conditions of 36 M.R.S. §1760(20). Maine has no separate local-option lodging tax; LD 632 (2025), which would have allowed one, died in April 2025. | 9% | varies |
Enforcement & penalties
STR enforcement is municipal, since all operating rules are local ordinances. At the state level, Maine Revenue Services enforces lodging-tax registration and remittance, and the LUPC administers the unorganized-territory notification requirement: owners of short-term rentals operating there before January 12, 2026 must file notice by July 11, 2026.
Statewide sources
- Maine Revenue Services, Instructional Bulletin No. 32: Rental of Living Quarters (rev. 2026-03-11)retrieved July 20, 2026
- 36 M.R.S. §1811 — Sales tax (rate on rental of living quarters)retrieved July 20, 2026
- 30-A M.R.S. §3001 — Municipal home rule ordinance powerretrieved July 20, 2026
- 22 M.R.S. §2491 — Definitions (lodging place; vacation rental exclusion)retrieved July 20, 2026
- 25 M.R.S. §2464 — Smoke detectors required in rental unitsretrieved July 20, 2026
- 25 M.R.S. §2468 — Carbon monoxide detectors requiredretrieved July 20, 2026
- Maine LUPC — Short-Term Rentals in the Commission's Service Arearetrieved July 20, 2026
- Maine DACF news release — LUPC short-term rental notice requirementretrieved July 20, 2026
- Maine Legislature bill status — LD 1181 (132nd Legislature)retrieved July 20, 2026
| City | Status | Permit fee | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bar Harbor | Restricted | $275 | July 21, 2026 |
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This page is informational only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Regulations change frequently — verify current requirements with each jurisdiction before operating. HOA and condo rules may prohibit short-term rentals regardless of city law.