Prince George's County, MD Short-Term Rentals: Host Platform Liability (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- PG County Code § 5-175.06(e)-(f)
- Fine per violation
- $1,000, platform liable
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Permitting, Inspections & Enforcement
- Platform license fee
- $2,500 annually (§ 5-175.04(b))
- Citation standard
- Must meet § 13-1125 notice requirements
Summary
A short-term rental hosting platform that collects a booking fee for an unlicensed Prince George's County host is directly liable for a $1,000 civil fine per violation, and the same fine applies if the host lacks the required 90-day pending-application certificate.
(e)If a platform collects a fee for booking services in connection with an unlicensed host, the platform shall be liable and subject to civil fines of $1,000 per violation. The civil fine may be imposed through either a violation notice or an administrative citation.(f)If a platform collects a fee for booking services in connection with someone who does not have a 90-day certificate from the Department regarding a filed and complete application, the platform shall be liable and subject to civil fines of not less than $1,000 per violation. The civil fine may be imposed through either a violation notice or an administrative citation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2026 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 06 governs prohibited acts, enforcement, and penalties for hosting platforms operating in Prince George's County. Under Sec. 06(e), if a platform collects a booking-service fee in connection with a host who does not hold a valid short-term rental license, the platform itself, not just the host, is liable and subject to a civil fine of $1,000 per violation. Sec. 06(f) extends the same $1,000-per-violation liability to a platform that collects a fee for a host who lacks the Department's 90-day certificate issued while a complete license application is pending.
The Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement (DPIE) may impose either fine through a violation notice or an administrative citation, and Sec. 06(g) requires that citation to contain the information specified in Sec. 13-1125 and be served under that section's procedures. Beyond fines, a platform's own short-term rental license, which platforms must hold under Sec. 04, is a privilege rather than a right: Sec. 06(b) allows DPIE to suspend, revoke, or decline to renew a platform's license for noncompliance with the Division or the County Code, and Sec.
06(c) permits suspension or revocation based on a citation, corrective order, or violation notice. Sec. 06(d) leaves all enforcement actions and penalty decisions to the Director's discretion. This liability scheme is separate from the host's own $1,000 minimum civil fine for violations under Sec. 07(h), meaning both the host and the platform can be separately fined for the same unlicensed listing.
Violations & Fines
A platform that books an unlicensed host, or a host lacking the pending-application certificate, faces a civil fine of $1,000 per violation under Sec. 5-175.06(e)-(f), issued by DPIE via violation notice or administrative citation. The Director may also suspend or revoke the platform's own hosting license for repeated noncompliance, and citations must meet the notice requirements of Sec. 13-1125.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a hosting platform be fined for an unlicensed listing in Prince George's County?
Does the platform's fine replace the host's fine?
Who enforces platform liability under this ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Prince George's County
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