Short-Term Rental Rules in Ludlow, VT, Home of Okemo (2026)

The Short Answer

If you own a house or condo near Okemo and want to rent it by the night, the rules that bind you today are mostly state rules:

• Taxes: 9% Vermont rooms tax, 3% short-term rental surcharge and Ludlow's 1% local option rooms tax, for 13% in total.
• Fire safety: the Vermont Division of Fire Safety's short-term rental requirements, including an 8-person occupant load for a rented single dwelling unless the Division says otherwise.
• Posting: a phone number for the person responsible and the Department of Health and Division of Fire Safety contacts, inside the unit.
• Local: zoning permits for any construction or change of use, and any rules in your condo association's documents.

The statewide picture is on our Vermont rules and taxes page. This page covers what is specific to Ludlow.

Taxes in Ludlow

The Vermont Department of Taxes lists Ludlow among the towns with a 1% local option tax on meals, rooms and alcoholic beverages, and on sales, both effective July 2025. For a short-term rental that means:

If you book through Airbnb, its help center says it collects the 9% rooms tax, the 1% local option tax and the 3% surcharge on Vermont stays of 29 nights or shorter. If you also take direct bookings (a repeat ski family, say), you register with the Department of Taxes, which is free, and file Form MRT-441 on myVTax for those stays, including the local tax by town.

Does Ludlow Have a Short-Term Rental Registry?

Not as of October 2026, as far as the town's own website shows. The Town and Village of Ludlow publish their ordinances online, and when we checked the town ordinance list and the village ordinance list on 6 October 2026, neither included a short-term rental ordinance or registry.

It has been a live question, though. Local reporting in the Vermont Journal traces the debate:

• 2022: the Selectboard debated a registry and, in November, approved developing a registry system with an outside vendor, but adopted no ordinance requiring hosts to register.
• January 2024: a joint Selectboard and Village Trustees motion to have the planning commission draft a short-term rental registry ordinance failed on a 2 to 2 vote.
• 2025: the boards reopened the topic. Drafts discussed in June 2025 based occupancy limits on the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code ("bed spaces" rather than bedrooms) and required a designated agent to respond within 30 minutes. At a joint public hearing on August 12, 2025, the proposed fees were $300 for a hosted rental and $600 for an unhosted one, and many operators objected. Another hearing was planned for late September 2025.

We found no record on the town site of an ordinance being adopted after those hearings. Because the proposal could come back, ask the town before you list, and watch Selectboard and Trustees agendas.

Whom to ask. Erin Ladd, Director of Planning and Zoning, Town of Ludlow, 37 Depot Street, P.O. Box 359, Ludlow, VT 05149; direct line 802-228-4870. The Planning and Zoning page encourages appointments and requires a pre-application meeting before any Development Review Board hearing. The town office line is 802-228-2841.

Zoning and Permits

Ludlow posts its zoning regulations on the Planning and Zoning page, and has a Development Review Board. For most owners, zoning comes up when you change the house: finishing a basement into bunk rooms, adding a bedroom, building a deck or garage. Two layers apply:

• Town zoning permits, through the Planning and Zoning office.
• State construction permits from the Division of Fire Safety, which says any construction, alteration, renovation or new fixed equipment needs a Division permit application before work begins, separate from local zoning. Allow time; the Division says review can take up to 30 days.

If you plan to sleep more than 8 people, the Division requires a change of use inspection request and compliance with lodging-level code before you rent that way. Many slopeside houses are marketed for big groups, so check this before you write "sleeps 12."

Fire Safety for a Ski House

The Division of Fire Safety's quick-start list is worth walking room by room in a Ludlow rental:

• Photoelectric smoke alarms near and inside every sleeping room and on every level, including the basement.
• Carbon monoxide alarms outside sleeping areas, in any bedroom with a fireplace or fuel-burning appliance, and on every occupied level.
• A secondary means of escape from every sleeping room (often an egress window), unless the house is sprinklered.
• Heating systems inspected at least every two years by a certified technician or chimney sweep.
• If guests may use a wood stove or fireplace, written instructions and a metal ash bin with a lid.
• Guards on decks and landings more than 30 inches above grade, and graspable handrails on all stairs.

Use the Division's Short-Term Rental Checklist, and leave the completed copy in a visible place in the house. More on alarms and insurance is on our insurance and safety page, and winter-specific ideas are in best winter amenities for ski area rentals.

Condos Near Okemo

Many rentals near the mountain are condos or homes in associations. Vermont's Common Interest Ownership Act sets the default vote to amend a declaration at 67%, and associations can have their own rental rules. Read the declaration, bylaws and rules before you list; our HOA and condo rules page explains what to look for.

Where New England Host Co Fits

New England Host Co serves Southern Vermont around Ludlow and manages a modern 3-bedroom, 2-bath home three minutes from Okemo Mountain. Every home is within 45 minutes of its crew's base, housekeeping and an inspection happen after every stay, and pricing is reviewed daily with PriceLabs. Ski season adds its own work; see winter rental management. To ask about your own Ludlow property, use the contact page or start at the owner hub.

FAQ

Does Ludlow, VT Require a Short-Term Rental Permit?

We found no short-term rental ordinance in the town or village ordinance lists on 6 October 2026. A registry was debated through 2025, so confirm with the Director of Planning and Zoning at 802-228-4870 before you list.

What Taxes Do Okemo-Area Rentals Pay?

13% in Ludlow: 9% Vermont rooms tax, 3% short-term rental surcharge and the town's 1% local option rooms tax, which took effect in July 2025.

How Many Guests Can a Ludlow Ski House Sleep?

Under Division of Fire Safety guidance, a rented single dwelling unit is limited to 8 people unless a Division report says otherwise. Sleeping more requires a change of use inspection and lodging-level code compliance.

Who Collects the Tax If I List on Airbnb?

Airbnb collects the rooms tax, local option tax and surcharge on Vermont bookings of 29 nights or shorter. You collect and file for any direct bookings.

What Was in the Proposed Ludlow Registry?

Drafts reported in 2025 included occupancy limits based on the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, a designated agent with a 30-minute response time, and proposed fees of $300 hosted or $600 unhosted. None of it is in force as far as we could find.

This page is general information as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice; check with the Town of Ludlow or a professional before you list.