Oakland, Maine Short-Term Rental Market
The Oakland, ME area STR market averaged $228/night at 52.9% occupancy in June 2026, up 4.3% in revenue.
Quick Answer: Oakland, Maine is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Maine Area market area is 53%. average monthly revenue in the Maine Area market area is $2,758. average daily rate in the Maine Area market area is $228. the top operator in the Maine Area market area is Morton & Furbish Vacation Rentals with 332 listings. market score is 54/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Maine Area regional market, which includes Oakland. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Oakland.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Oakland is a small town in Kennebec County, Maine, in the Belgrade Lakes Region just west of Waterville and Augusta, with a population of 6,351. It functions as a gateway to a seven-lake recreation area, including Messalonskee Lake (also called Snow Pond), East Pond, McGrath Pond, and Salmon Lake, drawing summer lake vacationers, historic summer-camp visitors, boaters, and anglers, plus snowmobilers and ice fishers in winter. Traffic is highly seasonal, peaking June through August, with a secondary fall-foliage and winter-sports draw given proximity to Sugarloaf and Saddleback ski areas. The StaySTRA STR series for this area is tracked at a shared submarket level covering Oakland and nearby Belgrade Lakes communities rather than uniquely for this town, so the figures below describe the Oakland, ME area STR market.
The Oakland, ME area STR market posted an average daily rate of $227.96 and 52.85% occupancy in June 2026, with a trailing average revenue per listing of about $2,757.96. Year over year, revenue is up 4.26% and ADR is up 2.33%, even as occupancy is down modestly (2.11%). Average booking lead time is 70.59 days and average length of stay is 4.32 nights.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46% | $205 | $2,438 |
| Feb | 58% | $223 | $3,027 |
| Mar | 45% | $206 | $2,655 |
| Apr | 41% | $163 | $1,831 |
| May | 47% | $162 | $1,692 |
| Jun | 57% | $191 | $2,387 |
| Jul | 68% | $204 | $3,514 |
| Aug | 67% | $204 | $3,685 |
| Sep | 48% | $177 | $2,360 |
| Oct | 48% | $166 | $2,148 |
| Nov | 40% | $145 | $1,668 |
| Dec | 47% | $176 | $1,915 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Maine Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Maine Area market as a whole, which includes Oakland, so these counts are not Oakland-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morton & Furbish Vacation Rentals | 332 | 4,697 | ★ 4.78 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 123 | 4,683 | ★ 4.62 |
| 3 | Evolve | 99 | 2,736 | ★ 4.68 |
| 4 | North Woods Maine Cabins Inc | 70 | 1,117 | ★ 4.84 |
| 5 | Sugarloaf Rentals LLC | 63 | 558 | ★ 4.89 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Oakland?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,781 |
| 2 bed | 1,728 |
| 3 bed | 1,552 |
| 4 bed | 691 |
| 5 bed | 310 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $235 |
| Luxury | $434 |
| Professionally Managed | $349 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,903 |
| Entire Place | $2,846 |
| House | $3,041 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 52.7% |
| vrbo | 10% |
| both | 37.3% |
Investment Analysis
Entry cost in the Oakland, ME area is moderate: Zillow’s typical home value is $341,938.11, with a median list price of $421,450.00 across 28 homes for sale (median sale price, sale-to-list ratio, and median days to pending were not published for this market).
Rate tiers show a wide premium ladder: the area’s all-listing ADR is $227.96, close to the entire-home tier at $235.30, rising to $349.42 for professionally managed listings and $433.85 for the luxury tier, about 90% above the market average. Revenue by property type is led by houses at $3,041.21 per month, followed by entire-place listings at $2,845.53 and apartments at $1,902.68.
Using the reported area average revenue of $2,757.96 per month ($33,095.50 annualized) against the $341,938.11 typical home value produces a computed gross yield of approximately 9.7%, before financing, management fees, taxes, insurance, and vacancy beyond the reported occupancy rate. Bedroom mix, listing-type split, market-score, and top-operator data are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Oakland, so this profile omits them.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
Run a Free Address Analysis
Skip the market averages. Get revenue projections, comp analysis, and ROI for your specific property address. Free, instant, no signup required.
Analyze My Property →Home Value Trends (Oakland)
Booking Insights
Guests in the Oakland, ME area book well in advance, with an average lead time of 70.59 days, and stay 4.32 nights on average, a typical lake-house vacation pattern.
For pricing, the long lead time gives operators substantial room to set and hold rates ahead of the summer peak and the smaller February winter-sports bump without needing last-minute discounts. Given the roughly 2.2x seasonal swing, pricing discipline through the June-to-August window matters more to annual revenue than any single off-season month, though the February uptick tied to nearby ski areas is worth pricing for separately from the main summer season.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Oakland currently has no short-term-rental-specific ordinance. The town’s code enforcement office lists shoreland zoning, land use permit, subdivision, and property maintenance ordinances, but none singles out vacation rentals, Airbnb, or Vrbo, and no local STR registration, license fee, night cap, or owner-occupancy requirement was found, making the regulatory environment permissive relative to Maine tourist hotspots like Portland, Bar Harbor, or Bangor.
Operators are still subject to Maine’s statewide rules: a 9.0% state Vacation (Casual) Rental lodging tax applies to stays under 28 consecutive days, and hosts must register with Maine Revenue Services for a sales tax certificate and collect and remit the tax. A limited exemption exists for a single property rented fewer than 15 days per year. Maine has no county- or city-level lodging tax layered on top. The most important local constraint is Shoreland Zoning, since much of the desirable inventory is lakefront on Messalonskee Lake and the Belgrade chain; buyers should verify setbacks, septic capacity, and any required land-use permits with Oakland’s Code Enforcement Officer before operating, particularly for construction projects over $1,500. Enforcement of STRs specifically appears minimal given the absence of a governing ordinance, though this could change as Maine lake towns increasingly debate rental rules.
Market Comparison
The Oakland, ME area’s $227.96 ADR runs slightly above the roughly $220 national median ADR, about 4% higher, while its 52.85% occupancy sits close to the commonly cited US short-term rental median of about 55%. That combination points to a market that prices and fills close to typical US benchmarks, consistent with a regional Belgrade Lakes destination rather than a premium national vacation market.
Property-manager-level data for this market is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Oakland, so this profile omits it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oakland, Maine
What is the average daily rate for short-term rentals in Oakland, ME?
What is the short-term rental occupancy rate in Oakland?
Are short-term rentals legal in Oakland, Maine?
What zoning rules affect short-term rentals in Oakland?
What is the best month to operate a short-term rental in Oakland?
What does a typical home cost in the Oakland short-term rental market?
Analyze Oakland Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Oakland.
Free Oakland STR Calculator →
