Do I Need To Have a License to
Rent My Maryland Property?
It depends upon where your rental property is located. That’s because there is no Statewide license requirement for homeowners who own rental properties in Maryland. You can review our Information for Landlords about rental properties. We urge you to speak with us about the benefits of hiring a professional property manager to handle all of the requirements.
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Prince George’s County has a license and inspection requirement. In addition to the county-wide license requirement, we know that there are several cities and towns within the County that have their own requirements:
- City of District Heights
- City of Greenbelt
- Town of Forest Heights
- City of Laurel
- City of Capital Heights
- City of Seat Pleasant
Each of these require a rental license. There are likely other jurisdictions in the County that issue their own licenses, too.
Charles County does not have a county-wide license requirement as of January 1, 2023. Currently, rental licenses are required only for homes located inside the Incorporated Town of La Plata and Town of Indian Head. Both of these require a license and a pre-occupancy inspection of the property. The inspection must be completed each time the home is rented. Homes outside of the Town limits do not need a license.
The license status in the County may be changing in near future, though. During the 2021 legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly authorized the County government to develop a license and inspection program. As of December, 2024, we aren’t aware of any actions taken by the Charles County Commissioners to move this forward.
We know of no rental license requirements in St. Mary’s County or Calvert County. There also appears to be no licensing requirement in Anne Arundel County for single family homes. In addition, Harford County has no requirements. There may be licensing requirements in certain cities or towns within the Counties.
Montgomery County has a license requirement. We know that the City of Wheaton has its own license that must be used. There are likely other towns in the County that require a license, too.
In Frederick County, the City of Hagerstown has a rental inspection and licensing process. There are likely other towns in the County that require a license, too.
Dorchester County has no county-wide license requirement. There is a license requirement in the City of Cambridge. Areas of Cambridge that are not within the City limits do not require a license.
When we begin to manage a rental property for you, we will make sure that we know about any licensing requirements that apply. We will take care of it for you. We continue to find more areas where rental licenses are required. As the list of license requirements grows, we will dedicate a separate page to that information.