Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in Ogunquit, Maine
You can rent your whole home to one family for stays of at least seven days (Ogunquit calls this a TA-1 weekly private home rental), but nightly or weekend rentals of a house aren't allowed. Weekly rentals don't need a zoning permit in most districts, but the town requires you to register the rental as a business with the Town Clerk. Accessory dwelling units can't be used as short-term rentals.
| Minimum stay | 7 days [1] |
| Who may rent | One family, with exclusive use, while the owners or tenants are away [1] |
| Zoning permit | None needed in all districts except SG3 (Playhouse), where it isn't permitted [2] |
| Registration | Business Registration with the Town Clerk's Office [4] |
| ADUs | May not be rented short-term; leases must run at least 12 consecutive months [5] |
| Occupancy limit | 1 person per 200 sq ft of habitable floor space [6] |
Source date
This answer relies mainly on the town-posted December 2020 PDF of Chapter 225 (Zoning), with amendments through 2019, plus the ADU text certified for the June 13, 2023 town vote and a Codes office handout. The current codified version could not be downloaded, so later amendments may have changed these rules.
Weekly rentals (TA-1)
Ogunquit regulates whole-home rentals through zoning rather than a separate license. A "Transient Accommodation Type 1 (TA-1), weekly private home rental" is a dwelling unit rented to one family for its exclusive use while the usual owners or tenants are away, with a minimum stay of seven days [1]. Rentals shorter than that don't fit this definition. Uses not listed in Table 702.1 are prohibited, so nightly rentals of a whole house aren't an allowed use [8].
Table 702.1 lists TA-1 as allowed without a permit [2][3] in every district except SG3 (Ogunquit Playhouse), where it isn't permitted.
Registration
A Codes office notice says anyone who rents a weekly private house, apartment, condominium or other dwelling unit in Ogunquit must apply for a Business Registration through the Town Clerk's Office [4]. The handout doesn't list a fee.
Shorter stays: B&Bs and inns
For a homeowner, the only way to host stays shorter than seven days is to run a bed-and-breakfast (TA-2) or inn (TA-3), where stays run from one night to 28 days [7]. A B&B must be the owner's year-round home with one to eight guest rooms. It needs Planning Board site plan review in the R, RR1, RR2, business, Farm, SLR, SLC, SG1 and SG2 districts and isn't permitted in the One-Family Residential, SG3, Stream Protection or Resource Protection districts. Inns are limited to the GB1, GB2, LB, Farm and SLC districts, with site plan review.
ADUs
Under the 2023 ADU text, if an accessory dwelling unit is leased it must be for at least 12 consecutive months, and ADUs can't be rented as short-term rentals [5].
Occupancy
The ordinance caps the number of people in a dwelling unit at one person per 200 square feet of habitable floor space [6].
See how Ogunquit compares with 8+ other Maine towns on short-term rentals (airbnb / vrbo) →
Next steps
- Make sure each booking is for at least 7 days to one family.
- Apply for a Business Registration at the Ogunquit Town Clerk's Office before renting.
- Ask Codes & Planning (207-646-9326) whether the current zoning has changed the TA-1 rules, especially if your property is in the SG3 district or has an ADU.
Common questions
- Are short-term rentals allowed in Ogunquit, Maine?
- Yes, with limits. You can rent your whole home to one family for stays of at least 7 days, called a TA-1 weekly private home rental. Nightly or weekend rentals of a house aren't allowed.
- Do I need a permit to rent my house on Airbnb in Ogunquit, Maine?
- Weekly rentals don't need a zoning permit in most districts, but the town requires a Business Registration through the Town Clerk's Office. The handout doesn't list a fee. TA-1 isn't permitted in the SG3 district.
- Can I rent for less than a week in Ogunquit, Maine?
- For a homeowner, the only way to host stays shorter than 7 days is to run a bed-and-breakfast or inn, which need Planning Board site plan review and aren't allowed in every district.
- Can I rent my ADU short-term in Ogunquit, Maine?
- No. ADUs can't be rented short-term, and leases must run at least 12 consecutive months.
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
- §225-2.2, definition of "Transient accommodation," A, Ogunquit Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 225 (town PDF), p. 34
A. TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATION TYPE 1 (TA-1) - WEEKLY PRIVATE HOME RENTAL — Lodging accommodations in a dwelling unit which is rented to a family for its exclusive use when the usual owners or tenants are not present. The minimum stay shall be seven days.
- Table 702.1, Land Uses Permitted in Zoning Districts, Ogunquit Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 225 (town PDF), p. 163
Transient accommodation Type 1 A A A A A A A A A A A A A NP A A (TA-1) , weekly private home rental
- Table 702.1, Key, Ogunquit Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 225 (town PDF), p. 159
A Allowed without a permit
- Private Seasonal Home Rentals notice, Private Seasonal Home Rentals notice (Weekly Rentals), p. 1
All property owners who rent a weekly private house / apartment/condominium /or any other type of dwelling unit within the Town of Ogunquit are required to apply for a Business Registration through the Town of Ogunquit Clerk’s Office.
- §225-9.1C (as certified for June 13, 2023 vote), Chapter 225 Zoning §225-9.1 Accessory Dwelling Units (certified text for June 13, 2023 vote), p. 2
If leased the accessory dwelling unit shall be occupied by the lessee for a duration of not less than twelve consecutive months. Accessory dwelling units shall not be leased or rented as short-term rentals.
- §225-2.2, definition of "Dwelling unit", Ogunquit Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 225 (town PDF), p. 20
The maximum number of persons in a family permitted to reside in a dwelling unit shall be determined by dividing the habitable floor space in square feet by the rate of 200 square feet per person.
- §225-2.2, definition of "Transient accommodation," B, Ogunquit Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 225 (town PDF), p. 34
The minimum stay shall be one night, and the maximum stay shall be 28 days.
- §225-7.2A, Ogunquit Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 225 (town PDF), p. 74
Uses omitted from Table 702.1 shall be prohibited.