Tag Archives: Short Term Rentals

The District Five Insider is a newsletter about the big decisions making their way through the City Council, what they mean for District Five, and how you can get involved. Enter your email and click subscribe to receive this newsletter in your mailbox.

Friday, September 5 2025

ONE BIG THING:

This week, the City Council passed a Commercial Vacancy ordinance that will put us one step further toward helping Congress Street live up to the name “Arts District.” Here’s what it does:

If a ground-floor commercial space in the Pedestrian Activities District sits empty for six months or more, the property owner is required to:

  • Register the space with the city
  • Put art in the window (provided and paid for by the City!)
  • Or, if they don’t want to do that, pay a modest vacancy fee

The registry lets our Economic Development team stop playing defense and start shaping a future. By tracking vacancies and building relationships with property owners, the City can connect artists, entrepreneurs, and cultural groups with space and support.

Some people have said that window art won’t solve anything, but boarded-up windows don’t just make a city feel sad; they make it vulnerable. They say, nothing is happening here. No one cares. This ordinance gives us another tool to revitalize the downtown.

QUICK HITS

Rent Increases Capped at 2.2% for 2026
Thanks to Portland’s rent control law, tenants will be protected from large increases next year. The cap is based on the local cost of living.

STRs Reforms Have Kicked In
The City has finalized the limit for non-owner-occupied short-term rentals on the mainland: 293 units citywide for 2026 (down from 400 in 2025) and will continue to be capped at 1.5% of our long-term rental stock. That’s how we preserve housing for actual residents.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Notice: Under Maine law, documents – including e-mails and text messages – in the possession of public officials or city employees about government business may be classified as public records. There are very few exceptions. As a result, please be advised that what is written in a text message or e-mail could be released to the public and/or the media if requested.

Welcome to the District Five Insider, a newsletter about the big decisions making their way through the City Council, what they mean for District Five, and how you can get involved. Follow to subscribe, and receive this newsletter in your mailbox.

Friday, October 11, 2024

Question B: Council Initiated changes to Portland’s Short-Term Rental Registration Requirements

Voting has begun in Portland, and many people are asking me about Question B on the municipal ballot.

This amendment to our Short Term Rental (STR) ordinance was passed by the Council but must be ratified by voters. It complements a number of other changes to our STR regulations passed by the Council in August. .

What are the changes?

1. Tightens registration requirements for owner-occupied STRs by requiring proof that the unit is the host’s primary residence. Hosts must supply the city with a) proof that they qualify for Maine’s “Homestead Exemption” at the unit, or b) Federal Tax Return (with financial information redacted) showing primary residence at the unit.

Why does this matter? Portland strictly limits the number of non-owner occupied STR licenses we issue, but we do not limit owner-occupied licenses. Stronger registration requirements will decrease the number of STRs being falsely registered as “owner-occupied” to get around the limit.

2. Adds registration requirements for Peaks Island short-term rentals, and requires the City to verify whether a unit is seasonal or year-round.

Why does this matter? The Council has established a new cap on the lumber of Peaks Island short-term rentals licenses we issue. The cap does not apply to seasonal properties. Question B requires the City to verify if Peaks Island STRs are year-round or seasonal when registering them, so we know if they’re subject to the cap or not.

3. Requires hosts of STRs in condominiums to provide proof that use of the unit as a short-term rental is allowed under the condo association’s governing documents.

Why does this matter? Current documentation requirements are too weak to enforce this proactively.

You can review the full text of the changes here.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Notice: Under Maine law, documents – including e-mails and text messages – in the possession of public officials or city employees about government business may be classified as public records. There are very few exceptions. As a result, please be advised that what is written in a text message or e-mail could be released to the public and/or the media if requested.