City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Boothbay Harbor, ME
How Boothbay Harbor regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here are subject to registration, a lodging tax, or a small number of operating rules.
- No STR-specific registration, license, or permit in force
- STR ordinance still in planning-board review; general ordinance changes on Nov 3 2026 ballot (not yet enacted)
- Whole-home / absentee STR permitted as a residential dwelling use with no supply device
- Only rental-duration restriction is a narrow ADU carve-out (new opt-in unit type), not a general supply device
Based on: Land Use Code (Chapter 170); no STR-specific chapter enacted as of 2026-09-14. ADU minimum-lease provision at §170-60.
Summary of the rule
Town Pay & Renew lists only ATV/Snowmobile, Boat, Burning Permit, Dog License, Hunting/Fishing, Mooring, Property Tax/Utility, and Vehicle/Trailer registrations. No short-term-rental / vacation-rental / lodging registration or license is offered.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Boothbay Harbor · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.