New Hampshire's 8.5% Rooms & Meals tax on vacation rentals: what it is and why it is on your total

When you review a rental quote, one of the line items reads something like "NH Rooms & Meals Tax — 8.5%." For guests coming from states that do not tax lodging this way, it is usually the first thing to ask about. Short answer: yes, it is real; yes, it is set by state law; no, it is not something we add on our side.

Here is what it is, what it applies to, and how we handle it so you do not have to think about it.

What the tax actually is

New Hampshire does not have a state sales tax or a state income tax on wages. The Rooms & Meals tax (sometimes called the "Meals and Rentals tax") is how the state funds a share of its budget from visitors. It applies to short-term lodging and to prepared meals across the state — hotels, inns, B&Bs, Airbnb hosts, and agency-managed vacation rentals are all treated the same.

The rate is 8.5% of the taxable amount. That rate is set by the legislature, not by individual properties or agencies.

What it applies to on your quote

The 8.5% is calculated on the lodging-related portion of your total:

• The weekly rental rate for each week you are staying.
• The cleaning fee.
• The $100 admin fee.
• The pet fee (when applicable).

Every one of these is shown on its own line on your lease, and the tax on them is shown on its own line too. Nothing is bundled or hidden — what you see is what is going to the state.

What it does not apply to

The security deposit is not taxed. A security deposit is a refundable hold against damage, not a payment for lodging, so it sits outside the taxable total. If your deposit comes back to you (as the vast majority do), no part of it was tax in the first place.

The 180-day rule

Stays of 180 consecutive days or longer are exempt from the Rooms & Meals tax under New Hampshire law. For summer rentals, this never comes into play — the longest weeks-stacked stay we see in a summer is nowhere near six months. Where it matters is the occasional long-term booking: a multi-month winter stay, a relocation gap, or a construction family staying in a rental for the season. Those fall outside the tax.

How we handle the filing

You pay the tax once, as part of your total. Every booking is tracked by check-in month; on the 15th of the following month, Yankee Pedlar files a return with the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration and remits the tax owed. You do not file anything, calculate anything, or receive a separate bill — it is handled on our end.

If you ever want to see how the tax was calculated for your specific stay, it is itemized on your lease and on the receipt we generate when your balance is paid in full.

The short version

• NH Rooms & Meals tax is 8.5%, set by state law.
• Applies to rent, cleaning fee, admin fee, and pet fee — the lodging-related portion of your total.
• Does not apply to the security deposit.
• Stays of 180 consecutive days or longer are exempt.
• We collect and file it monthly with the NH Department of Revenue Administration — you pay once, as part of your total.

New Hampshire is one of the most tax-friendly states in the country for the people who live here, and visitor-side lodging tax is part of the trade-off. On your total, the line is a small number next to a much bigger week on the lake. We prefer to show it cleanly on its own line so you always know exactly where the dollars are going.