Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in Auburn, Maine
Auburn has no Airbnb/VRBO ordinance or registration, but its zoning code says a dwelling unit available for rent for periods of less than one week is treated as a boarding/lodging unit, not an ordinary home. Rentals of a week or longer aren't affected by that rule. We couldn't review which districts allow boarding/lodging uses, so check with the city before you list.
| Rentals under 1 week | Treated as boarding/lodging units, not dwelling units [1] |
| Rentals of 1 week or longer | Not covered by that rule [1] |
| Bed and breakfast home | Up to 4 guestrooms, owner-resident, stays up to 7 consecutive / 60 days per year [3] |
| Lodging establishment license | $100 per year (whether it covers a whole-home rental isn't stated) [5] |
| Pending change (not adopted) | An August 2026 draft would delete the under-1-week rule [2] |
The current rule: stays under a week are lodging, not housing
Auburn has no short-term rental (Airbnb/VRBO) ordinance, registration or permit in the documents we reviewed. Its zoning code handles the question through the definition of a dwelling unit: "Dwelling units available for rental or occupancy for periods of less than one week shall be considered boarding/lodging units" [1]. This sentence is in the adopted zoning text (reprinted in Ord. 23-12022024, passed January 6, 2025) [1] and in the current code as reprinted in an August 2026 Planning Board packet [2]. So a home or apartment offered for nightly or few-night stays is treated as a boarding/lodging unit, not an ordinary dwelling unit. Rentals of a week or longer stay ordinary housing under this rule.
What we couldn't review
Which zoning districts allow boarding/lodging uses is in the district regulations (Article IV), and business licensing is in Chapter 14. Both are published only on Municode, and we couldn't download them. So we can't tell you whether a nightly rental is allowed at your address. Ask the city before you list.
Related uses the zoning code defines
- A bed and breakfast home (also called a tourist home) is an accessory use of a single-family home: four or fewer guestrooms, guests staying up to seven consecutive days and/or 60 days in a calendar year, owned and run by the person living there [3].
- A boardinghouse or lodginghouse provides lodging, or lodging and meals, to more than four people for pay [4].
- The fee schedule lists a $100 annual license for lodging establishments (lodginghouses, boardinghouses, rooming houses, hotels, motels and similar) [5]. It doesn't say whether a whole-home short-term rental needs it, so ask the City Clerk.
Pending change (not adopted)
A Planning Board draft from August 2026 (LD 1829 amendments) would delete the under-one-week sentence from the dwelling unit definition [2]. No public hearing had been held as of October 2026. Until the City Council adopts it, the current rule applies.
State rules
Maine has no state STR license, but it lets towns regulate short-term rentals. Hosts renting 15 or more days a year must register with Maine Revenue Services and collect the 9% lodging tax.
See how Auburn compares with 8+ other Maine towns on short-term rentals (airbnb / vrbo) →
Next steps
- Ask the Planning, Permitting & Code Department (207-333-6601) whether your zoning district allows a boarding/lodging use if you plan to rent for less than a week at a time.
- Ask the City Clerk's Office at Auburn Hall, 60 Court Street, whether the lodging establishment license or another business license applies to your rental.
- If you'll rent 15 or more days a year, register with Maine Revenue Services for the lodging tax.
Common questions
- Does Auburn, Maine have a short-term rental ordinance?
- No. Auburn has no Airbnb/VRBO ordinance or registration, but its zoning code treats a dwelling unit available for rent for periods of less than one week as a boarding/lodging unit, not an ordinary home. We couldn't review which districts allow boarding/lodging uses, so check with the city before you list.
- Can I Airbnb my house in Auburn, Maine?
- It depends. Rentals of a week or longer aren't affected, but nightly or few-night stays make the home a boarding/lodging unit under Auburn's zoning. Which districts allow that is in a part of the code we couldn't review, so ask the Planning, Permitting & Code Department.
- Do I need a license for a short-term rental in Auburn, Maine?
- Maybe. Auburn lists a $100 annual license for lodging establishments, but it doesn't say whether a whole-home short-term rental needs it, so ask the City Clerk. Hosts renting 15 or more days a year must register with Maine Revenue Services and collect the 9% lodging tax.
- Is Auburn, Maine changing its short-term rental rules?
- Possibly. An August 2026 Planning Board draft would delete the zoning rule treating stays under one week as boarding/lodging units. It hasn't been adopted, so the current rule applies until the City Council acts.
Maine state rules for short-term rentals
No statewide STR license. Maine has no state registration or permit for Airbnb/VRBO hosts. State law instead lets each town regulate short-term rentals (30-A M.R.S. §4364-C(2), passed in 2022). Check your town's rules.
Lodging tax (Maine Revenue Services):
- Rentals of living quarters are taxed at 9%, still the rate in 2026.
- Booking platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO must register with the state and collect the tax on bookings made through them.
- If you rent a single unit for fewer than 15 days a year, you generally aren't a "retailer" and don't need to register.
- If you rent 15 days or more in a year, you must register with Maine Revenue Services and collect tax on any bookings you take directly.
- A stay of 28+ days in a row is tax-exempt only in certain cases, such as when the unit is the guest's primary residence.
No state lodging license for vacation rentals. Maine's lodging-license law leaves out "vacation rentals," meaning homes rented to people with a permanent home elsewhere. B&Bs, inns and hotels do need a license.
ADUs: Starting July 1, 2027, towns can't require ADU owners to live on the property. State guidance says towns can still regulate STRs, for example by requiring registration or banning STRs in ADUs.
What the ordinance says
- Sec. 60-2 Definitions, "Dwelling unit" (as reprinted in adopted Ord. 23-12022024, passed 1/6/25; unchanged text), City Council Ordinances adopted in 2024 (compilation) - incl. Ord. 21-11182024 Lake Auburn Watershed Overlay text/map amendments and Ord. 23-12022024 LD 2003 housing/ADU amendments, p. 94
Dwelling units available for rental or occupancy for periods of less than one week shall be considered boarding/lodging units.
- Sec. 60-2 Definitions, "Dwelling unit" (Supp. No. 34; shown struck in red = current law the August 2026 draft would delete), PROPOSAL (not adopted): Planning Board workshop packet 2026-08-11 - draft Chapter 60 amendments for LD 1829/LD 2173 (Sec. 60-2 definitions and Article II General Provisions, redline on Supp. No. 34 text), p. 7
Dwelling units available for rental or occupancy for periods of less than one week shall be considered boarding/lodging units.
- Sec. 60-2 Definitions, "Bed and breakfast home" (Supp. No. 34), PROPOSAL (not adopted): Planning Board workshop packet 2026-08-11 - draft Chapter 60 amendments for LD 1829/LD 2173 (Sec. 60-2 definitions and Article II General Provisions, redline on Supp. No. 34 text), p. 3
Bed and breakfast home means an accessory use to a single-family dwelling involving the renting of four or fewer guestrooms to transient guests who are staying for a limited duration (seven consecutive days and/or 60 accumulated days in a calendar year) and the serving of breakfast only to house guests. Such establishment shall be owned and operated by the resident of the dwelling.
- Sec. 60-2 Definitions, "Boardinghouse or lodginghouse" (Supp. No. 34), PROPOSAL (not adopted): Planning Board workshop packet 2026-08-11 - draft Chapter 60 amendments for LD 1829/LD 2173 (Sec. 60-2 definitions and Article II General Provisions, redline on Supp. No. 34 text), p. 4
Boardinghouse or lodginghouse means a dwelling which, for compensation, lodging, or lodging and meals are provided to more than four persons and where a proprietor or owner may reside in the building.
- Appendix A, Businesses and Business Regulations, Appendix A - Fees and Charges, Master Fee Schedule (as passed 2026-07-20), p. 5
Lodging Establishments (Lodginghouse, $100.00 Boardinghouse, rooming houses, hotels, motels, etc), annually