Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in North Yarmouth, Maine
North Yarmouth doesn't have a short-term rental ordinance, and its Land Use Ordinance has no registration, license, cap or minimum-stay rule for Airbnb or VRBO rentals. Maine's state lodging-tax rules still apply.
| Town STR registration or license | None found in the ordinances we reviewed [1] |
| How the ordinance treats STRs | Excluded from the definition of "housing" unless otherwise allowed [1] |
| Bed and breakfast (separate use) | Owner-occupied, up to 9 guest rooms [2] |
What the ordinance says
North Yarmouth has no short-term rental ordinance. The Land Use Ordinance mentions short-term rentals only once: its definition of "housing" says the term doesn't include transient housing or short-term rentals unless otherwise allowed in the ordinance [1]. The ordinance doesn't define short-term rentals, list them in the land use table, or set registration, fee, owner-occupancy, minimum-stay or parking rules for them.
Related uses
A bed and breakfast is a separate, regulated use: an owner-occupied building with up to nine guest rooms for transient guests [2]. B&Bs require Planning Board site plan review in the Village Center, Village Residential and Farm and Forest districts (Farm and Forest only in buildings that existed on June 14, 2005) and aren't allowed in the shoreland districts [3]. If you plan to rent rooms to overnight guests while living there, ask the Code Enforcement Office whether your setup counts as a B&B.
ADUs
The ordinance doesn't say whether an accessory dwelling unit may be rented short-term. Its ADU rules require the owner to live in either the ADU or the main house, though state law bars towns from requiring that starting July 1, 2027.
Because the ordinance's treatment of whole-home rentals is unclear, confirm with the Code Enforcement Office before listing your home.
See how North Yarmouth compares with 8+ other Maine towns on short-term rentals (airbnb / vrbo) →
Next steps
- Call the Code Enforcement Office (207-829-3705 ext. 206) to confirm no local permit is needed for your rental setup.
- Register with Maine Revenue Services for lodging tax if you'll rent 15 or more days a year and take bookings directly.
- Check your deed, condo or HOA rules for rental restrictions.
Common questions
- Can I Airbnb my house in North Yarmouth, Maine?
- North Yarmouth has no short-term rental ordinance and no registration, license, cap or minimum-stay rule. Because the ordinance's treatment of whole-home rentals is unclear, confirm with the Code Enforcement Office before listing.
- Do I need a permit to rent short-term in North Yarmouth, Maine?
- No local permit was found in the ordinances reviewed. Maine's state lodging-tax rules still apply.
- Is a bed and breakfast the same as a short-term rental in North Yarmouth, Maine?
- No. A bed and breakfast is a separate regulated use: an owner-occupied building with up to 9 guest rooms for transient guests. It isn't allowed in the shoreland districts.
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. XII Definitions, "Housing", Land Use Ordinance, p. 282
Housing: Any part of a structure which, through sale or lease, is intended for human habitation, including single-family and multifamily housing, condominiums, time-share units, and apartments. For purposes of this rule, this does not include dormitories, boarding houses or other similar types of housing units. This also does not include transient housing or short-term rentals, unless otherwise allowed in this Ordinance.
- Sec. XII Definitions, "Bed and Breakfast", Land Use Ordinance, p. 276
Bed and Breakfast: An owner-occupied building in which up to nine (9) guest rooms are used to provide overnight accommodations for transient guests.
- Table 7-1, Land Uses by Zoning District (Commercial and Industrial Uses), Land Use Ordinance, p. 76
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