Kennebunkport, Maine Short-Term Rental Market
Kennebunkport, ME STRs averaged $290/night at 44.5% occupancy in April 2026, with a strict town-wide license cap limiting new market entrants.
Quick Answer: Kennebunkport, Maine is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Maine Beaches market area is 64%. average monthly revenue in the Maine Beaches market area is $5,761. average daily rate in the Maine Beaches market area is $432. the top operator in the Maine Beaches market area is Vacasa with 152 listings. market score is 50/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Maine Beaches regional market, which includes Kennebunkport. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Kennebunkport.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Kennebunkport is a historic New England coastal resort town of approximately 3,684 residents on Maine’s southern coast. Long established as an affluent summer destination, the town draws leisure travelers from Boston, New York, and across the Northeast to its beaches, Dock Square village center, Ocean Avenue coastal drive, and Cape Porpoise harbor. The STR market is part of the broader Kennebunks coastal market and reflects the same seasonal demand pattern.
As of April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $290, occupancy of 44.5%, and RevPAR of $129. These figures represent shoulder-season performance, with July and August consistently the dominant months for this coastal market.
The shared Kennebunks market listing base totals approximately 4,615 units, with 4,425 entire-place listings (95.9% of supply), 189 private-room listings, and 1 shared-room unit. The bedroom mix shows 2-bedroom listings leading at 1,373, followed by 1-bedroom (1,130), 3-bedroom (1,031), 4-bedroom (656), and 5-bedroom (419). On the channel side, 1,403 listings are Airbnb-only, 871 VRBO-only, and 2,341 on both platforms.
Year-over-year for April 2026, occupancy fell 8.6 percentage points and revenue declined 8.2%, offset by a 4.7% ADR increase. This continues a normalization trend from the post-pandemic peak years of 2020-2022, when annual average occupancy reached as high as 60.2% (2021). The revenue-growth score of 79.2 out of 100 reflects favorable long-term fundamentals in this established resort corridor.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 35% |
| Feb | 49% |
| Mar | 46% |
| Apr | 50% |
| May | 52% |
| Jun | 66% |
| Jul | 79% |
| Aug | 80% |
| Sep | 48% |
| Oct | 46% |
| Nov | 37% |
| Dec | 42% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Kennebunkport are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Maine Beaches market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Maine Beaches market as a whole, which includes Kennebunkport, so these counts are not Kennebunkport-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 152 | 7,411 | ★ 4.49 |
| 2 | Evolve | 86 | 2,952 | ★ 4.69 |
| 3 | Salt & Shine Vacation Rentals | 60 | 980 | ★ 4.88 |
| 4 | Coastline Vacation Rentals | 55 | 1,133 | ★ 4.80 |
| 5 | Grand Welcome | 51 | 777 | ★ 4.89 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Kennebunkport?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Kennebunkport are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 30.4% |
| vrbo | 18.9% |
| both | 50.7% |
Home Value Trends (Kennebunkport)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Kennebunkport are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Kennebunkport — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Kennebunkport imposes one of the most restrictive STR regulatory regimes in New England. Under Chapter 129 of the town code (in effect since January 2022), every short-term rental (defined as any rental of 30 days or less) must hold an annual Short-Term Rental License. No STR may be advertised, listed, rented, or operated without a license, and the license number must appear on all listings.
The critical constraint is a town-wide license cap. Outside the Goose Rocks Beach neighborhood, total licenses are capped at approximately 9.5% of dwelling units, meaning only roughly 7 to 15 new licenses open annually. The Goose Rocks Beach neighborhood is exempt from the numeric cap due to its historic rental tradition but still requires a license. The application window opens the first Monday in October for the following calendar year. As of the most recent update, the 2026 application portal was closed entirely to both new and renewal applications, an unprecedented restriction that effectively froze the licensed STR market for that year.
License fees are $325 for units with 3 bedrooms or fewer and $575 for units with 4 or more bedrooms. Licenses run calendar year (January 1 through December 31) and are non-transferable upon change of ownership. Each new owner must independently qualify for and obtain a license from the constrained pool.
Properties must pass an inspection checklist and must post the license and a Good Neighbor Guide inside the unit. Enforcement is rated strict: a published violation schedule escalates from warnings and fines to suspension and revocation, with potential revocation at three or more violations.
On taxes, Maine levies a flat 9% statewide lodging tax on short-term rentals. Maine does not authorize separate local occupancy taxes, so 9% is the all-in tax rate. Licenses are not transferable, so buyers of existing STR properties should seek legal counsel on license status before closing.
Market Comparison
Kennebunkport’s April 2026 ADR of $290 is above the approximate U.S. STR median of $220. At peak summer months, the ADR of $363 to $366 represents a 65-66% premium over the national median, consistent with the town’s positioning as a premium New England coastal resort.
Occupancy at 44.5% in April trails the U.S. median of approximately 55%, but peak summer months reach 78-80%, placing the market among the stronger seasonal performers in the Northeast. The YoY occupancy decline of 8.6 percentage points in April 2026 reflects post-pandemic normalization seen broadly across coastal New England markets.
The market’s investability score of 67.9 out of 100 is more moderate than neighboring Kemp or Kemah, partially reflecting the regulatory complexity (strict license cap, enforcement risk). Revenue growth scores 79.2, suggesting positive long-term demand trends.
The professional management segment mirrors the Kennebunks market: Vacasa leads with 152 listings and 7,411 reviews at a 4.49 average rating. Evolve holds 86 listings at 4.69. Salt and Shine Vacation Rentals manages 60 listings at 4.88, Coastline Vacation Rentals operates 55 listings at 4.80, and Grand Welcome rounds out the top five with 51 listings at 4.89. Together the top five manage approximately 404 listings across the broader Kennebunks corridor.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kennebunkport, Maine
Can I operate a short-term rental in Kennebunkport, ME?
What is the average daily rate for Kennebunkport STRs?
What occupancy do Kennebunkport short-term rentals achieve?
What is the typical home value in Kennebunkport and what STR yield can investors expect?
What taxes apply to Kennebunkport short-term rentals?
When is peak rental season in Kennebunkport?
Is the Kennebunkport STR license cap a significant barrier for investors?
Analyze Kennebunkport Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Kennebunkport.
Free Kennebunkport STR Calculator →
