Annapolis, MD Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in Annapolis, MD, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Key Facts
- Normal-times rent control
- none
- Trigger
- declared local state of emergency
- Freeze duration
- emergency period + 30 days
- Covers
- residential leases and small commercial retail
- Governing law
- Annapolis City Code § 18.10.010
Summary
Annapolis has no year-round rent control; increases are capped only during a declared local state of emergency, plus 30 days after.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a rent increase for a leased residential property shall be prohibited during a period for which a local state of emergency has been declared pursuant to Section 11.48.030, and for 30 days thereafter.B.Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a rent increase for leased commercial retail property or a commercial property that is less than 6,500 square feet in size shall be prohibited during a period for which a local state of emergency has been declared pursuant to Section 11.48.030, and for 30 days thereafter. This section shall not apply to residential property being rented as a short-term rental in accordance with Chapter 17.44. (Ord. No. O-26-20, § I, 9-29-2020)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2025 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Annapolis does not regulate rent levels in ordinary times: landlords set rent increases freely under normal conditions. The only local restriction is emergency-triggered: under City Code § 18.10.010, once the City declares a local state of emergency under § 11.48.030, rent increases on leased residential property are prohibited for the duration of the emergency plus 30 days afterward. The same freeze applies to leased commercial retail property and to commercial space under 6,500 square feet, though it does not apply to short-term rentals licensed under Chapter 17.44.
Violations & Fines
No general penalty schedule is set out in this chapter; a rent increase imposed in violation of § 18.10.010 during a declared emergency is unlawful and unenforceable against the tenant while the prohibition is in effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Annapolis have rent control?
How long does the emergency rent freeze last?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Annapolis
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