Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in South Portland, Maine
Only in limited ways. In South Portland's residential zones you can short-term rent only as a registered "Hosted Home Stay": the property must be your homestead-exempt primary residence and you must be present during the stay. Whole-home "Non-Hosted" rentals are prohibited in residential districts, apart from a 14-day-a-year exemption for owners of single-family homes. Every rental must be registered annually with the City Clerk, pass a fire inspection, and is limited to two guests per bedroom and six guests total.
| Registration | Required annually with the City Clerk before operating [1] |
| Hosted Home Stay (owner present) | Must be homestead-exempt primary residence [2] |
| Non-Hosted (whole-home) rentals in residential zones | Prohibited (RF, AA, A, G, VR, RT, WR and residential contract zones) [3] |
| Occupancy limit | 2 guests per bedroom, max 6 guests [4] |
| Guest parking | All on-site; street parking by guests prohibited [5] |
| Insurance | Liability coverage of at least $1 million (or equivalent platform coverage) [6] |
| Limited away-from-home exemption | Up to 14 days per rolling 365 days, minimum 7-night stays, single-family primary residence [7] |
| ADUs approved after Ord. #4-22/23 | Neither the ADU nor the house may be registered [8] |
Registration
South Portland regulates short-term rentals (stays under 30 consecutive days) in Chapter 14, Article XVII. No one may operate a rental without first registering the unit with the City Clerk [1]. Registrations last 12 months and must be renewed each year; fees are set by the City Council's fee schedule, and the registration number must appear in every ad.
Hosted vs. non-hosted
A Hosted Home Stay is your primary residence and you must be present during the rental. It can't be registered unless the property qualifies for the Maine homestead exemption [2], and you must sign a sworn primary-residence statement. Hosted stays are allowed in all zoning districts. A Non-Hosted Home Stay (you are not there) is prohibited in all residential and residential contract zoning districts [3]; where allowed elsewhere, stays must be at least 7 nights. These locational rules are in the "Locational limits" row of Table 14-805, which reads "Allowed in all zoning districts" for Hosted stays and "Prohibited in all residential and residential conditional/contract zoning districts" for Non-Hosted stays; the quote [3] is the list of those districts.
There is a narrow exception: an owner of a single-family home with no ADU may rent their primary residence while away for 14 or fewer days in a rolling year, at least 7 consecutive days at a time, in any zone, after registering as a Hosted Home Stay [7].
Safety, occupancy and parking
Overnight guests are limited to two per bedroom and six total [4]. The Fire Chief or designee must inspect the building before the first registration. You must name an emergency contact who can respond within 60 minutes, carry insurance including at least $1 million in liability coverage [6], post a notice inside the unit, and provide guests a Good Neighbor brochure. All guest parking must be on-site [5]. Parties and similar gatherings above the guest limit are prohibited, and only one registration is allowed per lot in most cases.
ADUs
If an ADU on your lot was approved under the 2022 ADU rules (Ordinance #4-22/23), neither the ADU nor the single-family house may be registered as a short-term rental [8].
State lodging tax registration with Maine Revenue Services may also apply.
See how South Portland compares with 8+ other Maine towns on short-term rentals (airbnb / vrbo) →
Next steps
- Confirm your zone and whether your rental would be Hosted (you present, primary residence) or Non-Hosted; non-hosted rentals aren't allowed in residential zones.
- Gather homestead exemption proof, a sworn primary-residence statement, an insurance certificate, a floor plan with room photos, and a parking sketch.
- Register with the South Portland City Clerk and pay the registration fee; schedule the Fire Department inspection.
- Include your registration number in every listing and renew the registration every 12 months.
Common questions
- Can I Airbnb my house in South Portland, Maine?
- Only in limited ways. In residential zones you can short-term rent only as a registered Hosted Home Stay: your homestead-exempt primary residence, with you present. Whole-home Non-Hosted rentals are prohibited in residential districts.
- Is there an exception for renting my home while I'm away in South Portland, Maine?
- Yes, a narrow one. An owner of a single-family home with no ADU may rent their primary residence while away for 14 or fewer days in a rolling year, at least 7 consecutive days at a time, after registering as a Hosted Home Stay.
- How many guests are allowed in a short-term rental in South Portland, Maine?
- Two guests per bedroom and six guests total. All guest parking must be on-site.
- Do I need to register a short-term rental in South Portland, Maine?
- Yes. Every rental must be registered with the City Clerk before operating, renewed each year, and pass a Fire Department inspection. The registration number must appear in every ad.
- Do short-term rentals need insurance in South Portland, Maine?
- Yes. You must carry insurance including at least $1 million in liability 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
- Sec. 14-804. Registration Required, Licenses, Permits and Business Regulations (Chapter 14) – incl. Art. XVII Short-Term Residential Rentals, p. 190
Effective January 1, 2019, no person shall operate a Hosted Home Stay or Non-Hosted Home Stay without first registering the dwelling unit (or authorized accessory dwelling unit) with the City Clerk.
- Sec. 14-803(d), Licenses, Permits and Business Regulations (Chapter 14) – incl. Art. XVII Short-Term Residential Rentals, p. 188
No dwelling unit (or authorized accessory dwelling unit) may be registered as a Hosted Home Stay unless the property has qualified as the Owner’s homestead under the Maine Homestead Property Tax Exemption statute, 36 M.R.S. §§ 681- 689, as may be amended from time to time.
- Sec. 14-805(a), Table 14-805 (Locational limits, Non-Hosted Home Stay), Licenses, Permits and Business Regulations (Chapter 14) – incl. Art. XVII Short-Term Residential Rentals, p. 194
residential and residential conditional/contract zoning districts (at time of enactment of 5-22/23, those districts are RF, AA, A, G, VR, RT, WR, A-1, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, G-5, G-6, G-7 and O’NEIL)
- Sec. 14-805(b)(11). Occupancy limits, Licenses, Permits and Business Regulations (Chapter 14) – incl. Art. XVII Short-Term Residential Rentals, p. 197
For Hosted Home Stay registrations, overnight short-term guest occupancy shall be limited to two guests per short-term rental guest bedroom and a maximum of six guests total.
- Sec. 14-805(b)(12). Parking, Licenses, Permits and Business Regulations (Chapter 14) – incl. Art. XVII Short-Term Residential Rentals, p. 197
The number of guest vehicles allowed shall be restricted to the number of on-site parking spaces provided by the Owner. Parking space within a garage may be counted for this purpose, and tandem parking is allowed. Guest parking on the street is prohibited.
- Sec. 14-805(b)(4), Licenses, Permits and Business Regulations (Chapter 14) – incl. Art. XVII Short-Term Residential Rentals, p. 195
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 (a) property insurance and (b) general liability insurance appropriate to cover the rental use in the aggregate of not less than $1 million or proof that the Owner conducts rental transactions through a hosting platform that provides equal or greater coverage.
- Sec. 14-805(c), Licenses, Permits and Business Regulations (Chapter 14) – incl. Art. XVII Short-Term Residential Rentals, p. 199
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article to the contrary, an Owner of a one-family detached dwelling unit without any associated authorized accessory dwelling unit, which one-family detached dwelling unit serves as the Owner’s primary residence, may rent his or her primary residence as a short-term rental for 14 or fewer days in any rolling 365 day period at least 7 consecutive days at a time without the Owner present in the dwelling unit during the short-term rental and without regard to the zoning district in which the dwelling unit is located. Any Owner taking advantage of this limited exemption must register the dwelling unit as a Hosted Home Stay and shall comply with all requirements of this Article for a Hosted Home Stay other than those requirements inconsistent with this limited exemption.
- Sec. 14-803(i), Licenses, Permits and Business Regulations (Chapter 14) – incl. Art. XVII Short-Term Residential Rentals, p. 189
In the case of a property comprised of a one-family dwelling unit and a Post-Ordinance #4-22/23 ADU, neither the one-family dwelling unit nor the Post-Ordinance #4- 22/23 ADU may be registered as a Hosted Home Stay or a Non- Hosted Home Stay.