City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Baltimore, MD
How Baltimore regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- STR license required city-wide
- License issuable only for the host's permanent residence
- Permanent residence = owner-occupied at least 180 days/year and usual place of return
- Whole-home / absentee STR foreclosed except a narrow, now-closed grandfather window
- Grandfathered non-primary hosts capped at 1 unit, no additional licenses
Based on: Baltimore City Code Art. 15 (Licensing and Regulation), Subtitle 48 (Short-Term Residential Rentals); Ordinance 19-217
Summary of the rule
A person may only be issued a short-term residential rental license for his or her permanent residence
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Baltimore · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
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City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.