Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in Bar Harbor, Maine
Only with a town registration, and only where the Land Use Ordinance allows it. Bar Harbor requires every short-term rental to be registered with the Code Enforcement Officer, pass a life safety inspection, and renew each year (registrations expire May 31). VR-1 registrations are limited to an owner's primary residence; VR-2 registrations are capped and have a waitlist.
| Registration | Required before advertising, renting or operating [1] |
| Registration number | Must appear in all advertising, including online platforms [2] |
| VR-1 limit | One VR-1 property per individual [3] |
| Primary residence | Owner lives there more than 183 days a year (affidavit plus 3 documents) [4] |
| Term | All registrations expire May 31 each year [5] |
| VR-2 cap | Total cap with a waitlist; 120 days to secure a slot once offered [6] |
| Life safety inspection | Before first registration, then every three years [7] |
| Fine for operating unregistered | Minimum $1,500 [8] |
Registration is required
Under Chapter 174, you may not advertise, rent or operate a short-term rental (STR) without a valid registration from the Code Enforcement Officer [1], and your registration number must appear in every listing [2]. Taxes and town water/sewer fees can't be in arrears, guests can't be housed in tents, campers or accessory structures, and trash must be removed weekly. You must post an emergency information sheet inside the main door naming a local contact.
VR-1 vs. VR-2
Bar Harbor has two STR types, both defined in the Land Use Ordinance (Ch. 125). A VR-1 registration is only for an owner whose property is their primary residence; you sign an affidavit that you live there more than 183 days a year [4] and submit at least three proof documents (driver's license, tax return, vehicle registration, utility bill, etc.). One person can hold or own only one VR-1 property, with a narrow exception for family estate planning and caregiving [3]. VR-2 registrations are subject to a total cap; the town keeps a waitlist, and when a slot opens you have 120 days to secure it, including passing inspection [6].
Terms and inspections
All registrations expire May 31 each year [5]. A unit must pass a life safety inspection before it's first registered and every three years after [7]. Standards include interconnected smoke and CO alarms, egress windows in sleeping rooms, 7-foot minimum ceiling height, fire extinguishers, GFCI outlets, and a posted E-911 address.
What we couldn't check
Chapter 174 sends you to Chapter 125 for where STRs are allowed, the caps, transfer rules and minimum stay. We couldn't review Chapter 125, so we can't report which zones allow VR-1 or VR-2 rentals, the size of the cap, or the minimum stay.
Penalties
The minimum fine for operating without a registration is $1,500 [8]; a second violation within a year bars you from registering for 12 months, and you can reapply only after paying a $3,000 fine. The CEO can also assess three times the average nightly rate for each day of unlawful operation.
See how Bar Harbor compares with 8+ other Maine towns on short-term rentals (airbnb / vrbo) →
Next steps
- Ask the Bar Harbor Planning & Code Enforcement office (207-288-3329) whether your property's zone allows a VR-1 or VR-2 rental under Chapter 125.
- For a VR-1, gather proof of ownership and at least three primary-residence documents and complete the town's affidavit.
- File the STR registration application and fee with the Code Enforcement Officer and schedule the life safety inspection.
- Post the emergency information sheet and put your registration number in every listing.
Common questions
- Can I Airbnb my house in Bar Harbor, Maine?
- Only with a town registration, and only where the Land Use Ordinance allows it. Every short-term rental must be registered with the Code Enforcement Officer and pass a life safety inspection. The page couldn't confirm which zones allow rentals.
- What are the VR-1 and VR-2 short-term rentals in Bar Harbor, Maine?
- A VR-1 registration is only for an owner whose property is their primary residence, and one person can hold only one. VR-2 registrations are subject to a total cap, with a waitlist.
- When does a short-term rental registration expire in Bar Harbor, Maine?
- All registrations expire May 31 each year. A unit must pass a life safety inspection before first registration and every three years after.
- What is the fine for an unregistered short-term rental in Bar Harbor, Maine?
- The minimum fine for operating without a registration is $1,500.
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
- § 174-5 B, Short-Term Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 174), as amended 2025-11-18, p. 2
No person(s) shall advertise for rent, rent, or operate an STR without a valid registration issued pursuant to this Chapter.
- § 174-5 D, Short-Term Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 174), as amended 2025-11-18, p. 2
The STR registration number issued by the CEO shall be included in all advertising, including but not limited to online platforms.
- § 174-6 C(1)(a), Short-Term Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 174), as amended 2025-11-18, p. 3
No individual may have an ownership interest in more than one property with a VR-1 registration. No individual may register more than one property for a VR-1.
- § 174-6 C(2)(a), Short-Term Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 174), as amended 2025-11-18, p. 4
The property is the applicant’s primary place of residence for more than 183 days of the year; and
- § 174-7 A, Short-Term Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 174), as amended 2025-11-18, p. 5
Terms: All registrations expire on May 31 of each year, per § 125-69Y(1)(a).
- § 174-8 E(3), Short-Term Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 174), as amended 2025-11-18, p. 5
When registration slots are available, the CEO will inform the applicant(s) at the top of the registration waitlist. The applicant(s) will have 120 days to secure the registration, including but not limited to passing the required inspection.
- § 174-9 A, Short-Term Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 174), as amended 2025-11-18, p. 6
The registration of an STR shall be subject to an initial inspection of life safety requirements by the CEO, and thereafter, registration renewals shall be subject to an inspection every three years.
- § 174-10 D(1), Short-Term Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 174), as amended 2025-11-18, p. 9
The minimum fine for operating without a valid registration shall be $1,500.