Nashua, NH Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Because no Nashua STR ordinance exists, the city has not adopted a per-bedroom guest cap (such as the 'two per bedroom plus two' formula common in other jurisdictions). The operative occupancy framework rests on three layers of generally applicable code. First, the New Hampshire State Building Code, adopted statewide under RSA 155-A (the State Building Code Review Board adopts current editions of the International Building Code, International Residential Code, International Existing Building Code, and International Mechanical Code), sets occupant-load tables based on use group and building area. The IRC limits sleeping-room dimensions (minimum 70 square feet for a one-person room, 50 square feet per additional occupant), and the IBC sets occupant loads for transient lodging based on egress capacity. Second, Chapter 182 (Housing Standards) of the Nashua Revised Ordinances enforces minimum habitable-area-per-occupant standards (typically requiring at least 150 square feet of habitable area for the first occupant and 100 square feet per additional occupant), smoke detector and carbon monoxide alarm requirements in every sleeping area, egress windows from every sleeping room, and prohibitions on overcrowding. Violations are enforceable by the Nashua Code Enforcement Division and Housing Code Enforcement. Third, the New Hampshire State Fire Code under RSA 153 (which adopts the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code) imposes additional occupant-load limits and means-of-egress requirements; the Nashua Fire Marshal's Office can perform inspections on complaint and impose stop-occupancy orders. There is no Nashua STR-specific 'maximum guests,' no per-bedroom cap, no children-exclusion rule, and no event-prohibition rule. Operators commonly use the IRC sleeping-room minimums (50 sq ft per occupant beyond the first) and post a self-imposed cap in house rules. Hosting platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo) enforce no-party / no-event policies through their terms of service independent of city code.