Nashua, NH Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Because Nashua has no STR ordinance, the city imposes no primary-residence requirement, no minimum-owner-occupancy-days threshold (like Bellingham's 270-day floor), no resident-host requirement, and no investor-restriction provision. Whole-unit absentee STRs operated by out-of-town owners or LLC investors are not prohibited as a class. The operative constraint is simply whether the underlying Chapter 190 Land Use Code Use Matrix permits transient lodging in the dwelling unit's zoning district - and Nashua's residential zones (R-40 Rural Residence, R-30 Suburban Residence, R-18 Urban Residence, R-9 General Residence, R-A and R-B Urban Multifamily, R-C Inner Urban) traditionally permit lodging-use distinctions through the Use Matrix that vary by district. Bed-and-breakfast establishments under Chapter 190's separate B&B section typically require owner occupancy, but a B&B is a specific lodging classification (limited guest rooms, breakfast service, owner-resident operator) and does not capture whole-unit Airbnb / Vrbo rentals. Operators who characterize their use as a B&B to fit into a B&B-permitted zoning category must comply with B&B owner-occupancy requirements; operators who operate as generic short-term rentals are not subject to a primary-residence test under Nashua city code. New Hampshire state law (RSA 78-A and related) imposes no primary-residence requirement, so the framework is uniformly permissive at both city and state levels. The Nashua Re-Code Land Use Code update launched February 2024 could introduce a primary-residence rule; until adopted, none applies.