Short-Term Rental Laws in Portland, Maine

Portland operates one of the strictest STR ordinances in New England. Non-owner-occupied STRs are capped at 400 units citywide on the mainland (cap reached in 2019 and waitlisted). Island properties (Peaks, Cliff, Great Diamond, Little Diamond, House) have a separate, smaller cap. Each operator is limited to ONE STR registration (1-per-host rule, owner-occupied OR non-owner-occupied). Owner-occupied STRs in the host's primary residence are uncapped and available citywide. The mainland cap is the binding bottleneck for new investor inventory — secondary-market license transfers are the only practical entry point.

Portland zoning permits STRs in most residential zones (R-1 through R-6, B-1, B-2, B-3 business) subject to the citywide unit cap and the 1-per-host rule. Tenant-occupied STRs are categorically banned — the operator must be the property owner. Affordable-housing-restricted units cannot be used as STRs. Condominiums and multi-family buildings additionally require HOA/condo-board written consent. The 400-unit mainland cap is enforced via a waitlist administered by Permitting & Inspections.

Operators must hold a short-term rental permit before listing. See the official permit portal.

Portland Permitting & Inspections runs the program with active enforcement. Operating without registration triggers fines starting at $500/day and escalating. Annual renewal includes a life-safety re-inspection. The 1-per-host rule is verified against the city's registration roster and state property records — attempts to register a second STR via LLC ownership are routinely denied. Portland Code Enforcement cross-checks Airbnb/Vrbo listings against the registry; non-compliant listings are subject to platform-takedown demands.

Combined short-term lodging tax in Portland is approximately 9.000% of gross nightly revenue (state sales + state TRT + local TRT + applicable resort/city options).

Maine State lodging tax 9% (Maine Revenue Services) — no separate local lodging tax on STRs in Portland

Verify the current combined rate via the Utah State Tax Commission before remitting — rates drift quarterly.