Short-term rentals in New Hampshire's White Mountains

New Hampshire's White Mountains combine two hubs: the Mount Washington Valley, with North Conway's outlets, Conway, Bartlett and Jackson, and the Lincoln and Woodstock area at the western end of the Kancamagus Highway near Franconia Notch. Winter brings skiers to Attitash, Cranmore, Wildcat, Loon and Cannon; summer and fall bring hikers, families and some of the most famous foliage drives in the country. Cabins, chalets, condos in resort complexes and village houses make up the stock.

No state framework, one state tax

New Hampshire has no statewide short-term rental law, and a 2022 bill that would have limited town bans never passed. The state's role is the Meals and Rooms Tax, levied at 8.5% on stays of fewer than 185 consecutive days. Owners who take direct bookings need a meals and rooms operator license and file monthly; platforms such as Airbnb collect the tax on their own reservations. There is no county or city add-on.

Zoning, courts and Conway

Town zoning decides the rest, and the state Supreme Court has read it both ways. In 2019 it upheld Portsmouth's position that nightly rentals were not a permitted residential use there. In 2023, in Town of Conway v. Kudrick, it held that the occupants' use of a property, not the length of their stay, determines whether the use is residential, which kept short stays lawful in Conway's residential districts. Conway now requires a rental property permit backed by a fire department inspection or a self-affidavit, with interconnected smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and a septic check on older systems. Other valley and ski towns take their own approaches.

What to check

• The zoning text and any rental permit ordinance for the exact parcel.
• Septic design and well water, especially for large houses.
• Winter access, parking and snow load; guests often arrive after dark in storms.
• Condominium rules in resort complexes.

Our advice

Put the meals and rooms license in place, confirm the local permit, and price ski season and October foliage as the two peaks they are, with summer hiking in between. We study every request and tell you honestly whether and how we can help.

The attractions that shape bookings in each valley

Families with young children plan around Story Land in Glen, Santa's Village in Jefferson and Clark's Trading Post in Lincoln, and they book homes with bunk rooms, a washer and space for strollers. Walkers and sightseers come for the Flume Gorge, Lost River, Diana's Baths and Crawford Notch; many drive the Mount Washington Auto Road or ride the Cog Railway from the Bretton Woods side. The Conway Scenic Railroad, departing from North Conway's historic station, attracts couples and rail enthusiasts outside the school holidays.

Some dates are fixed and predictable: the Mount Washington Road Race in June, the lupine fields around Sugar Hill the same month, and the cross-country trail network in Jackson throughout winter. Hikers aiming for the Presidential Range often start from Pinkham Notch before dawn, so early departures and late returns are normal.

Preparing a mountain property for these guests

• A boot room or mudroom with drying racks protects floors in every season.
• Printed directions matter: cell coverage fades in the notches and along stretches of Route 112 and Route 302.
• Spring mud season and the black fly weeks are quieter; use them for maintenance and deep cleaning rather than discounting heavily.
• Near Bretton Woods, guests compare your home with a grand hotel, so the linen and the heating need to be faultless.

We schedule plowing, firewood and septic service with local contractors before each season starts, because in these towns the good ones are booked early.