Why are Mainers Getting So Upset Over Floating Vacation Rentals?

Short term rentals are everywhere in Maine.

Whether it's on Airbnb, or sites like Vrbo, etc., Maine is chock full of places to spend a night or a week. Hotels are cool and stuff, but these sites often offer you a bit more of an experience. Renting something a bit more unique could easily enhance your enjoyment of wherever you may be visiting.

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The lake my camp is on has several short term rentals. Sometimes it's no big deal, and other times, people treat it like it's a place they can just destroy in the loudest ways possible, figuring they'll never be back there again. But there's one type in particular that's got a lot of Mainers up in arms.

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Floating 'cabins' aren't as welcome as you'd think, but there's an even bigger problem.

According to the BDN, these "houseboats" so to speak are popping up more and more all over the state. Some think they're a safety hazard. Others worry there's a potential for pollution of Maine's precious waters. Plus a number of other concerns. But here's the rub... Right now, the state can't really do much about it.

There are so many state agencies with their hand in the cookie jar, so to speak, that the jurisdiction is very cloudy, making it kind of impossible to say who's in charge. So for there to be any clear rules about these "floating cabins", all the various state agencies would have to work together to come up with solutions.

What's the likelihood of that?

Hard to say. It's going to be a mess, for sure. And likely, the number of these floating cabins will continue to grow until there's enough progress at the state level to address concerns. Folks at the state level are very aware of the issues, but are probably all staring at each other trying to figure out where to start.

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For the time being, if there's one near your camp or house, or wherever you spend all your time, it'll probably continue to do so. But with tons of people around the state complaining very loudly, it hopefully won't take to long to figure it all out. But for now, those boats are anchored in.