The number of short-term rental listings in Maine has exploded in just 3 years

Over the past two weeks, 25 homeowners in Maine’s western mountain region have contacted Amber Gellman to convert their properties into temporary rentals.

“There’s been a huge boom in business over the last three to five years. It’s definitely growing, and it’s growing at an accelerating pace,” said Gellman, who co-owns Sugarloaf Rentals LLC in Stratton with her mother and husband.

Five years ago, the Gellman family business operated about 70 rental properties. By 2021, that had grown to 125 properties, and this year, Gellman said they now manage and clean 300, 180 of which are short-term rentals, she said. They’re the fourth-largest short-term rental company in Maine, according to AirDNA, a company that tracks vacation rental data, which reports they only have half of their inventory.