Machiasport Planning Board drafting short‑term rental ordinance as officials weigh town’s future as a ‘vacationland’

MAINE MONITOR • April 6, 2026

The Machiasport Planning Board is drafting an ordinance that would require owners of short‑term rentals to register their properties. The board discussed the measure Thursday as the town looks for ways to keep more of its housing stock in local hands. “We are probably going to become a vacationland,” Planning Board Chair Robert Arseneau said at the monthly meeting. He called driving tourism “the best thing we can do,” while acknowledging the need for regulation.