Primary-Residence-Only Rule
Baltimore Ord. 19-0270 restricts short-term rentals to a host's verified primary residence, blocking investor-owned whole-home STRs unless the operator can demonstrate a hardship-permit exception approved by DHCD.
Short-Term Rentals in Baltimore, MD (2026)
7 verified short-term rentals rules for Baltimore, Maryland, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Permit Requirements
Baltimore Ordinance 19-0270 requires all short-term-rental hosts to obtain an annual short-term-rental license from the Department of Housing & Community Development before listing any unit on Airbnb, Vrbo, or similar platforms.
Baltimore STR License Required Annually
Heavy RestrictionsNoise Rules
Baltimore short-term rental hosts must comply with the City Health Code Title 9 noise limits: 55 dB(A) at residential property lines, reduced 5 dB(A) between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. (Sec. 9-207). Article 15 Subtitle 48-15 requires hosts to ensure their dwellings comply with the Health Article.
short-term-rentals/noise-rules
Some RestrictionsTaxes & Fees
Baltimore short-term rentals must collect and remit the city's 9.5% hotel occupancy tax plus the Maryland 6% sales and use tax on every booking, in addition to paying the annual STR license fee to DHCD.
STR Hotel Tax And License Fees
Some RestrictionsParking Rules
Baltimore's STR ordinance (Article 15 Subtitle 48) does not impose a separate off-street parking minimum on short-term rentals; the underlying dwelling's parking standard under Article 32 Title 16 (Off-Street Parking and Loading) applies. Most STRs occupy single-family or rowhouse dwellings.
short-term-rentals/parking-rules
Few RestrictionsHost Presence Rule
Baltimore Ord. 19-0270 distinguishes hosted stays (host on-site) from un-hosted stays (whole-home rental while host absent), with un-hosted nights subject to a stricter cap when the listed property is the host's primary residence.
Hosted vs Un-Hosted STR Night Rules
Some RestrictionsHost Platform Liability
Under Baltimore Ord. 19-0270, booking platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo bear independent compliance duties to verify host license numbers, remove unlicensed listings on demand, and share aggregated booking data with DHCD upon request.