Short-term rental (Airbnb) rules in Yarmouth, Maine
Yarmouth's ordinances don't require a permit, registration, or license to rent your home short-term. The Rental Dwelling Ordinance defines a Short-Term Rental as a stay of less than 30 days, but its only remaining rule covers rent-increase notice for large long-term rental buildings. Units designated affordable under the zoning ordinance can't be used as short-term rentals.
| Definition of short-term rental | A dwelling unit or part of one offered for rent for less than 30 days [1] |
| Registration, license or fee | None in the current Rental Dwelling Ordinance [2] |
| Only operative rule | 75 days' notice of rent increases, long-term rentals in buildings of 10+ units [2] |
| Affordable housing units | May not be used for short-term rentals [3] |
What Yarmouth's rental ordinance covers
Chapter 318, the Rental Dwelling Ordinance, defines a Short-Term Rental as a dwelling unit, or a portion of one, offered for rent for less than 30 days [1]. Its purpose statement still mentions a registry of rentals "that require registration," but the current text (amended Sept. 15, 2022) has no registration article. Its only operative rule requires a landlord to give 75 days' written notice of a rent increase, and that applies only to long-term rentals in buildings or complexes with 10 or more rental units [2]. So we found no STR registration, license, fee, cap, minimum stay, owner-occupancy rule, or occupancy limit.
Zoning
The Zoning Ordinance doesn't list short-term rentals as a separate use. Two points matter:
- Affordable units: homes designated affordable under the Affordable Housing Programs section, whether for sale or rent, may not be used for short-term rentals [3].
- Inns are different: an "Inn or Lodging House" is a commercial structure, or a dwelling converted for commercial purposes, that takes transient guests and has up to ten sleeping rooms with no kitchens in the rented rooms. Inns are allowed only in certain districts. Renting a whole house with its own kitchen doesn't match that definition, but a room-by-room guest-house setup might, so ask the town if that's your plan.
The zoning definition of "family" limits unrelated groups to five persons, which could matter for large group rentals.
State rules still apply
Maine's 9% lodging tax and Maine Revenue Services registration rules (for hosts renting 15+ days a year) apply separately; see the state section on this page. HOA or condo rules may be stricter.
See how Yarmouth compares with 8+ other Maine towns on short-term rentals (airbnb / vrbo) →
Next steps
- If your home was built or bought under an affordable-housing program, confirm it isn't restricted from short-term rental.
- Check with Yarmouth Planning & Development (207-846-2401) if you plan to rent individual rooms to transient guests, which may count as an Inn.
- Register with Maine Revenue Services for the lodging tax if you'll rent 15 or more days a year and take direct bookings.
- Review any HOA or condo covenants on your property.
Common questions
- Can I Airbnb my house in Yarmouth, Maine?
- Yes, as far as the ordinances show. Yarmouth doesn't require a permit, registration, or license to rent your home short-term. Maine's state lodging tax rules still apply separately.
- Does Yarmouth, Maine have a short-term rental registry?
- No. The Rental Dwelling Ordinance defines a short-term rental as a stay of less than 30 days, but the current text has no registration article. Its only operative rule is 75 days' notice of rent increases for large long-term rental buildings.
- Can I rent an affordable housing unit on Airbnb in Yarmouth, Maine?
- No. Homes designated affordable under the zoning ordinance, whether for sale or rent, may not be used for short-term rentals.
- Can I rent individual rooms to guests in Yarmouth, Maine?
- It depends. A room-by-room guest-house setup might match the zoning definition of an Inn or Lodging House, which is allowed only in certain districts. Ask the town if that's your plan.
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
- Ch. 318, Article I.D Definitions, Chapter 318 Rental Dwelling Ordinance, p. 3
Short-Term Rental means a Dwelling Unit or a portion thereof that is offered for rent for a period of less than thirty (30) days.
- Ch. 318, Article II.A Notification of rent increases, Chapter 318 Rental Dwelling Ordinance, p. 4
Notwithstanding 14 M.R.S. Section 6015, a Landlord shall give seventy-five (75) days’ written notice of any rent increase to a Tenant of a Long-Term Rental. This provision shall apply only to any and all Long-Term Rental(s) in the Town limits of Yarmouth that are part of a building or complex with ten (10) or more rental dwelling units.
- Ch. 701, Article II.DD.1.c.iv Affordable Housing Programs, Chapter 701 Zoning Ordinance, p. 89
iv. Affordable housing units, whether for sale or for rent, shall not be used for short-term rentals.