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 — for owners in our program — how we file it on your behalf so no one has 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.

For owners: we file it for you

If your property is rented through Yankee Pedlar, you do not need to register with the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration, calculate tax yourself, or file a monthly return. We are the operator of record for Rooms & Meals tax on every booking that flows through our office.

Here is what that looks like in practice. We collect the 8.5% from the renter as part of their total, track each booking by check-in month, and on the 15th of the following month we file a consolidated return with the NH DRA and remit the tax owed. The return covers every property we manage — your property is one line of it — and the remittance goes directly from Yankee Pedlar to the state.

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.