Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in Harpswell, Maine
Harpswell's ordinances that we reviewed don't regulate short-term rentals like Airbnb or VRBO. We found no registration, license, fee, cap or minimum-stay rule. Renting out a residence isn't treated as a commercial use, and a bed and breakfast with up to 4 guest bedrooms in an owner-occupied home counts as a home occupation.
| Local STR registration, license or cap | None found [1] |
| Is renting a home a commercial use? | No; rental of residential buildings is excluded from "commercial use" [1] |
| Rental units | Count as dwelling units regardless of rental period [2] |
| Bed and breakfast as a home occupation | Owner-occupied, up to 4 guest bedrooms, breakfast only [3] |
What we found
None of the Harpswell documents we reviewed mention short-term, vacation, transient or weekly rentals. We reviewed the Basic Land Use Ordinance, the Definitions Addendum, the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance, the Harbor & Waterfront Ordinance and the Animal Control Ordinance. We found no registration, fee, cap, minimum-stay, occupancy or parking rule aimed at Airbnb or VRBO-style rentals.
Related definitions
- Commercial use excludes "rental of residential buildings and/or dwelling units" [1]. Renting out your house doesn't turn it into a commercial use under the land use rules.
- A dwelling unit includes rental units with cooking, sleeping and toilet facilities "regardless of the time-period rented" [2]. A rented home is still treated as a residence.
- A bed and breakfast is an owner-occupied home where guests stay overnight for a fee and get breakfast only. It counts as a home occupation if it has no more than 4 guest bedrooms, subject to adequate septic capacity [3]. Home occupations must meet the performance standards on the Home Business page.
ADUs
Harpswell requires the owner to live in either the main house or the ADU, which limits renting out both units at once (see the ADU page). State law bars that owner-occupancy requirement starting July 1, 2027, though towns may still regulate short-term rentals in ADUs.
Bottom line
Harpswell's land use code is silent on whole-home short-term rentals. Rules could change if the town adopts an STR ordinance, so check with the town before listing. State lodging-tax registration still applies.
See how Harpswell compares with 8+ other Maine towns on short-term rentals (airbnb / vrbo) →
Next steps
- Call the Harpswell Town Office or Code Enforcement (207-833-5771) to ask whether any short-term rental rules are pending.
- If you'll host guests in your own home with breakfast, keep it to 4 guest bedrooms and confirm your septic capacity with the Plumbing Inspector.
- Check your deed, road association or HOA covenants for rental restrictions.
- Register with Maine Revenue Services for lodging tax if you rent 15 or more days a year and take direct bookings.
Common questions
- Does Harpswell, Maine regulate Airbnb or short-term rentals?
- The ordinances we reviewed don't regulate short-term rentals like Airbnb or VRBO. We found no registration, license, fee, cap or minimum-stay rule. Rules could change if the town adopts an ordinance, so check with the town before listing.
- Do I need a license for an Airbnb in Harpswell, Maine?
- We found no local short-term rental registration or license. State lodging-tax registration still applies.
- Can I run a bed and breakfast in Harpswell, Maine?
- Yes. An owner-occupied bed and breakfast with no more than 4 guest bedrooms, serving breakfast only, counts as a home occupation, subject to adequate septic capacity.
- Can I rent out my ADU in Harpswell, Maine?
- Harpswell requires the owner to live in either the main house or the ADU, which limits renting out both units at once. State law bars that requirement starting July 1, 2027, though towns may still regulate short-term rentals in ADUs.
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
- Definitions, Commercial Use, Definitions Addendum (2026), p. 5
Commercial Use – the use of lands, buildings, or structures, other than a "home occupation", defined below, the intent and result of which activity is the production of income from the buying and selling of goods and/or services, exclusive of rental of residential buildings and/or dwelling units, and may also include the processing of marine life and the sale thereof in any form.
- Definitions, Dwelling Unit, Definitions Addendum (2026), p. 7
The term shall include mobile homes, and rental units that contain cooking, sleeping, and toilet facilities regardless of the time-period rented but not recreational vehicles.
- Definitions, Bed and Breakfast Home Occupations, Definitions Addendum (2026), p. 4
For the purpose of this ordinance, Bed and Breakfast establishments shall be considered as home occupations if they provide no more than four (4) bedrooms for overnight guests.