Regulators plan to roll out new rules for short-term rentals in Maine’s unorganized territories

By Nicole Ogrysko, Bangor Daily News Staff

State regulators are planning to gradually roll out new rules for short-term rentals in Maine’s unorganized territories.

Short-term rental owners would first be required to register their properties with the Land Use Planning Commission. Eventually, property owners will have to comply with a set of parking, wastewater disposal and other standards, which state regulators plan to address with a second round of rulemaking.

There would be no fee to register using an online platform. Commissioners said during a meeting Dec. 11 that the registration requirement will allow them to reach short-term rental owners and help them prepare for the upcoming regulations.

The decision comes after regulators spent more than a year collecting feedback from property owners and residents in unorganized territories.

Some residents had expressed concerns about noise and trash disposal. A 2-year-old study found there were nearly 600 short-term rentals in Maine’s unorganized territories, but regulators say that the registration will give them a more accurate count.

The commission is expected to finalize the new registration requirements sometime next year.

This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.