City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Hampton Beach, NH
How Hampton Beach regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here operate under a registration or permit system with ongoing operating rules.
- ministerial Certificate of Rental Occupancy from Building Department required before any advertising/renting
- STR permitted by Building Inspector within the Short-Term Rental Overlay District (which covers the Hampton Beach precinct); special exception from ZBA required only outside the overlay
- 5-year renewal with Fire Department review
- insurance attestation + state rooms & meals tax registration required
- occupancy cap of 2 tenants/bedroom + 2 (safety-based, not a supply cap)
- Certificate non-transferable on change of ownership (with family/estate-planning exceptions)
- ADU lots barred from STR use; condo requires declaration/board permission
- no owner-occupancy / primary-residence requirement; whole-home absentee STR permitted
Based on: Town of Hampton Zoning Ordinance §6.2 Short-Term Rentals (Adopted March 2023)
Summary of the rule
6.2.4(a) Short-Term Rentals shall not be advertised, rented, or operated without first obtaining a Certificate of Rental Occupancy from the Building Department... (b) A Certificate of Rental Occupancy... shall require renewal every 5 years by the Building Department, with additional review from the Fire Department as required.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 15, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Hampton Beach · 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.