STR rules · verified 1mo ago
Short-term rental rules in Portland, ME
Portland (Cumberland County, Maine's largest city) operates a tiered STR registration program under Chapter 6, Article XII of the City Code. Three tiers: (1) Owner-occupied 1-2 unit ($100/yr, uncapped); (2) Non-owner-occupied 1-2 unit ($1,000/yr, capped at 400 citywide on the mainland); (3) Multi-unit buildings ($1,000/unit/year, only 1 unit per building can be STR). The non-owner-occupied mainland cap was hit in 2021 — multi-year waitlist. Tenant-occupied STRs are BANNED. Operators need 24/7 local contact, $1M liability insurance, annual fire/life-safety inspection, posted contact info, and parking equal to bedrooms. Maine 9% lodging tax + statewide BCCP registration apply. Litigation history: Wadyka v. City of Portland (2022) upheld the cap.
What's behind the sign-in
- Registration fees — initial + annual renewal cost, per permit type
- Permit caps + waitlists — exact cap values, current waitlist counts
- Owner-occupancy rules — days/year requirement, permit-class splits
- Zoning carve-outs — which districts allow / disallow STR
- Tax stack — TOT, hotel, county + state layers
- Stay limits — min/max nightly, max nights/year
- Operational requirements — parking, insurance, fire inspection, neighbor notice
- Penalties — per-night fines, revocation thresholds
- City-specific gotchas — HOA carve-outs, pending legislation, recent court rulings
- Refresh on demand — re-run the agentic pipeline against the city's current ordinance
Frequently asked
Are short-term rentals legal in Portland, ME?
Portland is currently restricted for short-term rentals. Permitted but with material constraints — caps, owner-occupancy rules, zoning carve-outs, or active ordinance review. For the actual fees, caps, owner-occupancy rules, and city-specific gotchas, sign in.
Do I need a permit to run an Airbnb in Portland?
Almost certainly yes — almost every U.S. city now requires a short-term rental permit, vacation rental permit, or transient lodging permit before you can legally list. The specifics for Portland (cost, renewal cycle, required documents) are behind sign-in. You can also read the source ordinance directly: https://portlandmaine.gov/1150/Short-Term-Rental-Registration.
What happens if I rent without a permit in Portland?
Most cities charge per-night fines (a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per violation), escalating to cease-and-desist letters and platform delisting on repeat. Airbnb and Vrbo now share permit-validation feeds with most major cities, so unpermitted listings get blocked at the platform level. Sign in to see the specific penalty schedule for Portland.
How current is this data for Portland?
This record was verified 1mo ago against the city's published ordinance (.gov or the city's official municipal-code publisher). Cached cities re-verify on a cadence — daily for cities under active legislation, weekly otherwise. Signed-in users can hit Refresh on any city to force a fresh pull. If you're underwriting a deal, always confirm against the city's code-enforcement office before closing.
Can my HOA or condo association ban STRs even if Portland allows them?
Yes. City permits authorize you under municipal law, but your HOA, condo association, or co-op board sets contractual rules that override the city for your unit. Many HOAs adopted blanket STR bans between 2018 and 2024 in response to neighbor complaints. Read the CC&Rs, bylaws, and rental addendums before you buy with an STR plan — the city saying yes does not mean your building says yes.