City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Kennebunkport, ME
How Kennebunkport regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- Hard town-wide annual cap on total STR licenses (in effect since Jan 1, 2023)
- Total license count set annually by Board of Selectmen via a formula tied to a percentage of total residential dwelling units
- Licenses non-transferable to a new owner or a different dwelling unit (limited permitted-transfer exceptions only)
- Existing operators grandfathered/renewable, but new whole-home entrants gated by the quota
- Occupancy caps (2 tenants/bedroom + 2), 5-year code inspections, mandatory licensing
- Goose Rocks Beach Neighborhood still licensed but exempt from the annual cap
Based on: Kennebunkport Town Code Chapter 129 (Short-Term Rentals), adopted 6-8-2021; chapter effective 1-1-2022; annual-license
Summary of the rule
The Town Clerk shall issue short-term rental licenses on an annual basis. The total number of licenses issued in each calendar year shall be set annually by the Board of Selectmen. The limitation on the total number of licenses set by the Board of Selectmen shall first go into effect on January 1, 2023. ... A. Formula. The total number of licenses issued in each calendar year shall be set by the Board of Selectmen annually according to a formula based in part upon a percentage of the total number of residential dwelling units in the Town of Kennebunkport.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Kennebunkport · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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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.