Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in Freeport, Maine
Yes, but you need an annual short-term rental registration from the Freeport Town Clerk before you list or rent. A short-term rental is any stay under 28 days. Occupancy is capped at 2 guests per bedroom plus 2 more, every guest vehicle needs an off-street space, and the town issues no more than 300 registrations per year. Renting no more than twice a year for under 14 total days doesn't count as a short-term rental.
| Registration required | Yes, from the Town Clerk, renewed annually (cycle runs March 1 to March 1) [2] |
| Short-term rental definition | Fewer than 28 consecutive days, for compensation [10] |
| Exemption | Rented no more than twice a year and under 14 total days [1] |
| Renewal window | December 1 to March 1 (late fee after) [3] |
| Max occupancy | 2 guests per legally permitted bedroom + 2 additional [4] |
| Parking | Off-street for all guest vehicles; no guest street parking 11pm-7am [5] |
| Annual cap | 300 registrations per cycle [8] |
| Liability insurance | At least $1 million (or equal platform coverage) [7] |
| Max gathering size | 16 people, including occupants [9] |
Registration
Chapter 61 defines a short-term rental as renting a legal dwelling unit for fewer than 28 consecutive days for compensation [10]. A unit rented no more than twice a year and for less than 14 days in total is exempt [1]. Only the legal owner can register. You must have a registration number and certificate from the Town Clerk before you operate [2]. Registrations run March 1 to March 1, and renewals are accepted December 1 to March 1 [3]. Fees are set by the Town Council. Codes Enforcement reviews first-time applications. Renewals that drew complaints go to the Town Council.
Cap and lottery
The town issues no more than 300 registrations per cycle [8]. If more apply, on-time renewals get priority. First-time and late applicants go into a lottery on a space-available basis.
Operating standards
- Occupancy: 2 guests per legally permitted bedroom plus 2 more. The bedroom count comes from the building permit, septic design, sewer records, or Certificate of Occupancy [4].
- Parking: you need the off-street parking the Zoning Ordinance requires plus a space for every overnight guest vehicle. Guests may not park on the street from 11pm to 7am [5].
- Emergency contact: someone who can respond within 60 minutes, 24 hours a day.
- Life safety: a posted evacuation plan, an A/B/C fire extinguisher, and code-compliant egress and smoke and CO detectors. Units built after December 1, 2010 must meet the building code (MUBEC) in effect when they were permitted [6].
- Insurance: $1 million in liability coverage, or a hosting platform that provides equal coverage [7].
- Advertising: every listing must show your registration number and permitted bedroom count, and must not offer the property for events.
Prohibited activities
You may not host gatherings of more than 16 people, rent space not permitted for human habitation, or serve food that would need a victualer's license [9]. Operating or advertising without registering can bring daily fines equal to the annual registration fee, and more for repeat offenses.
There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement and no minimum stay beyond the definition.
See how Freeport compares with 8+ other Maine towns on short-term rentals (airbnb / vrbo) →
Next steps
- Confirm the bedroom count on record for your property (building permit, septic design, or Certificate of Occupancy). It sets your guest limit.
- Download the Short-Term Rental Registration application and self-inspection checklist from the Town website or pick them up at Town Hall.
- Gather the items you need: an emergency contact, a $1M insurance certificate (or proof of platform coverage), a parking plan showing enough off-street spaces, an evacuation plan, and a fire extinguisher.
- Submit the application and fee to the Town Clerk. Don't list the unit until you have a registration number, then show that number in every ad.
- Renew every year between December 1 and March 1 to keep renewal priority under the 300-registration cap.
Common questions
- Can I Airbnb my house in Freeport, Maine?
- Yes, but you need an annual short-term rental registration from the Freeport Town Clerk before you list or rent. There's no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement.
- What counts as a short-term rental in Freeport, Maine?
- Renting a legal dwelling unit for fewer than 28 consecutive days for compensation. A unit rented no more than twice a year and for under 14 days in total is exempt.
- Is there a cap on short-term rentals in Freeport, Maine?
- Yes. The town issues no more than 300 registrations per cycle. If more apply, on-time renewals get priority, and first-time and late applicants go into a lottery.
- How many guests are allowed in a short-term rental in Freeport, Maine?
- Two guests per legally permitted bedroom plus 2 more. Gatherings can't exceed 16 people, and every guest vehicle needs an off-street space.
- Do short-term rentals need insurance in Freeport, Maine?
- Yes. You need $1 million in liability coverage, or a hosting platform that provides equal coverage.
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
- Article II: Definitions, Short-Term Residential Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 61), p. 1
A short-term rental does not include legally existing dwelling units that are rented no more than twice per calendar year and for less than a total of 14 days in a calendar year.
- Article III(a), Short-Term Residential Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 61), p. 1
(a) Effective July 1, 2021, no person shall operate a short-term rental without first receiving a registration number and certificate for the short-term rental from the Freeport Town Clerk.
- Article III(g), Short-Term Residential Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 61), p. 3
Registration renewals shall be required on an annual basis. Applications for renewals will be accepted from December 1 – March 1 of each calendar year.
- Article IV(b), Short-Term Residential Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 61), p. 4
Guests shall be limited to a maximum of two guests per legally permitted bedroom, plus no more than two additional overnight guests.
- Article IV(c), Short-Term Residential Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 61), p. 4
The number of overnight guest vehicles allowed shall be restricted to the number of off-street parking spaces provided by the owner.
- Article IV(e)(3), Short-Term Residential Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 61), p. 5
3) Any dwelling unit(s) constructed on or after December 1, 2010, shall comply with the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC) that was effective at such time that a building permit was issued for the unit.
- Article IV(h), Short-Term Residential Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 61), p. 5
At the time of registration, the owner must provide a certificate of insurance that expressly acknowledges that the property may be used for short-term rental business activity and evidencing general liability insurance appropriate to cover the short-term rental use in the aggregate of not less than $1 million, or proof that the owner conducts short-term rental transactions through a hosting platform that provides equal or greater coverage.
- Article VI(a), Short-Term Residential Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 61), p. 7
(a) The total number of annual registrations issued by the Town Clerk shall be limited to three hundred (300) per registration cycle.
- Article V(a)(3), Short-Term Residential Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 61), p. 6
3) Gatherings or events with more than 16 attendants, including occupants of the short-term rental.
- Article II: Definitions, Short-Term Residential Rental Registration Ordinance (Chapter 61), p. 1
Short-term Rental (STR): The use, control, management or operation of a legally-existing dwelling unit, in whole or in part, for dwelling, sleeping or lodging purposes for fewer than twenty-eight (28) consecutive days and for compensation, directly or indirectly.