Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick has no separate short-term rental license, but STRs (including ADUs) count as rental units and must be registered each year with the Fire Department's Fire Prevention Office by January 15. Missing the registration brings a $50 per unit penalty that doubles every 30 days up to $400 per unit.
| Do STRs need to register? | Yes, short-term rentals and ADUs are covered [1] |
| Who registers you | Fire Department Fire Prevention Office (FDFPO) [2] |
| Deadline | January 15 each year (starting January 2026); new units/owners within 90 days [2] |
| Penalty for not registering | $50/unit, doubling every 30 days to a $400/unit maximum [6] |
| Owner-occupancy / primary-residence rule | None found for STRs [3] |
| Minimum stay, caps or zone limits | None found [1] |
Registration, not a license
Brunswick doesn't have a standalone short-term rental ordinance. Instead, Chapter 8's rental registry covers any unit rented "for any length of time," and it states that short-term rentals and ADUs are subject to it [1]. Units rented to immediate family and licensed lodging facilities are excluded.
Owners must register with the Fire Department Fire Prevention Office by January 15 each year, starting January 2026. Units added or removed must be updated within 90 days, and new owners have 90 days to register [2]. Registration asks for the address, map and lot, owner, property manager, emergency contact and agent for service, plus bedroom and bathroom counts and whether each unit has a kitchen [4].
Penalties
Renting an unregistered unit is a civil violation, and no certificate of occupancy will be issued for an unregistered property subject to the rules [5]. The penalty fee is $50 per unit, doubling every 30 days until it reaches $400 per unit [6].
What we did not find
The ordinance defines "owner-occupied" and "primary residence" [3], but in the text we reviewed it does not use them to limit who may run an STR. We found no STR registration fee, cap, minimum stay, zone restriction, or occupancy/parking limit specific to short-term rentals in the zoning ordinance or Chapter 8. A Bed and Breakfast (owner-occupied, up to 10 rooms rented per diem [7]) is a separate zoning use with its own district rules, so renting individual rooms while you live there may be treated differently.
The Chapter 8 text we have was adopted July 21, 2025; the town may have added STR rules since, so check before listing.
See how Brunswick compares with 8+ other Maine towns on short-term rentals (airbnb / vrbo) →
Next steps
- Register the property with the Brunswick Fire Department Fire Prevention Office before you start renting (and by January 15 each year after).
- Have ready: street address and unit numbers, assessor's map and lot, owner/manager/emergency contact details, and the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens.
- Update the registration within 90 days of any change in ownership, management or units.
- Register with Maine Revenue Services for lodging tax if required (see state rules).
- If you plan to rent rooms in your own home like a B&B, ask Planning & Development (207-725-6660) whether a zoning approval is needed.
Common questions
- Do I need to register a short-term rental in Brunswick, Maine?
- Yes. Brunswick has no separate short-term rental license, but short-term rentals, including ADUs, count as rental units and must be registered each year with the Fire Department's Fire Prevention Office by January 15.
- What is the penalty for not registering an Airbnb in Brunswick, Maine?
- A $50 per unit penalty that doubles every 30 days until it reaches $400 per unit. Renting an unregistered unit is a civil violation.
- Does Brunswick, Maine limit Airbnb rentals to owner-occupied homes?
- We found no owner-occupancy or primary-residence rule for short-term rentals, and no minimum stay, cap or zone limit. The text we reviewed was adopted July 21, 2025, so check before listing.
- Can I rent rooms in my home like a B&B in Brunswick, Maine?
- A Bed and Breakfast, owner-occupied with up to 10 rooms rented per diem, is a separate zoning use with its own district rules. Ask Planning & Development whether a zoning approval is needed.
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. 8-102 Definitions, Rental Unit, Chapter 8 Art. III Registration of Rental Property (clean adopted version), p. 1
Rental Unit is a structure or portion of any structure that is rented or available for rent to any individual or individuals for residential purposes for any length of time. A unit rented to a member of the Owner’s immediate family is not considered a rental unit for the purposes of this Ordinance. Short term rents and ADUs are subject to this ordinance.
- Sec. 8-103(a), Chapter 8 Art. III Registration of Rental Property (clean adopted version), p. 2
Representatives of the owner or owners (as defined in Sec. 8-104) of buildings containing Rental Units within the town shall register their ownership interest, or cause such interest to be registered, with the Fire Department Fire Prevention Office (FDFPO) by January 15th of each year beginning in January 2026 .
- Sec. 8-102 Definitions, Chapter 8 Art. III Registration of Rental Property (clean adopted version), p. 1
Owner-Occupied shall mean a rental unit owned and occupied by the registrant as their primary residence.
- Sec. 8-104(1)(d), Chapter 8 Art. III Registration of Rental Property (clean adopted version), p. 2
d) The number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, and the presence or absence of a kitchen of each Rental Unit;
- Sec. 8-106, Chapter 8 Art. III Registration of Rental Property (clean adopted version), p. 2
It shall also be a violation of this article for any owner or manager to rent any rental unit subject to registration, not registered under this article. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued for property subject to the registration requirements which is not registered in accordance with this Article.
- Appendix B, Sec. 8-106 Penalty Fee, Chapter 8 Art. III Registration of Rental Property (clean adopted version), p. 3
Sec. 8-106 - Penalty Fee $50/unit After each 30 days, fees double until they reach $400/unit
- Sec. 1.7.2 Definitions, Bed and Breakfast, Zoning Ordinance (Appendix A, Municipal Code)
A dwelling occupied by the owner as a principal place of residence with not more than ten (10) rooms that are rented on a per diem basis, where meals may be provided to those who rent rooms.