An Act To Require Providers of Short-term Lodging To Be Licensed by the State
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §2491, sub-§7-F, as amended by PL 2013, c. 264, §4, is further amended to read:
7-F. Lodging place. "Lodging place" means a building or structure, or any part of a building or structure, used, maintained, advertised or held out to the public as a place where sleeping accommodations are furnished to the public for business purposes. "Lodging place" includes, but is not limited to, hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and inns where the owner or managing entity maintains the lodging facilities and the structures are located in the same general physical location. "Lodging place" includes a property under common management where 4 or more rooms, cottages or condominium units are rented to the public , or where any number of rooms are rented to the public for overnight occupancy. "Lodging place" does not include vacation rentals, youth camps, dormitories of charitable, educational or philanthropic institutions, fraternity or sorority houses affiliated with educational institutions, permanent residences, rooming houses, tenancies at will or rental properties with tenant and landlord relationships.
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §2491, sub-§10-C is enacted to read:
10-C. Overnight occupancy. "Overnight occupancy" means rental by the owner and occupation by the public of a lodging place for a period of less than 7 consecutive days for a fee.
Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §2491, sub-§17, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 264, §5, is amended to read:
17. Vacation rental. "Vacation rental" means a residential property that is rented for vacation, leisure or recreation purposes for a day, a week or a month, and typically under 30 days but not for more than an entire summer or winter season, to a person who has a place of permanent residence to which the person intends to return.
SUMMARY
This bill defines "overnight occupancy" in the laws governing lodging places and requires renters who provide overnight occupancy to the public to be licensed by the State. It also provides that a property rented as a vacation rental must be rented for a minimum of 7 days.