Queen Anne's County, MD Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)

The presence rule for short-term residential rentals is § 18:1-58J(2)(a) of the Queen Anne's County Code, added 11-26-2024 by Ord. No. 24-09. It is the first condition on the County Commissioners' permission to rent a dwelling unit short term in any zoning district. The property owner must demonstrate to the Department that the property owner or a property manager is located within Queen Anne's County or an adjacent county on the eastern shore of Maryland and available at all times during the short-term rental occupancy.

Three features define the rule. First, it is a location and availability test, not a residency test: subsection J does not require the owner to live in the dwelling or be on site, and a property manager satisfies it in place of the owner. Second, the geography is fixed: Queen Anne's County itself or an adjacent county on the eastern shore of Maryland. Third, availability is continuous, covering all times during the short-term rental occupancy rather than business hours. The showing is made to the Department of Planning and Zoning as part of the zoning approval process under § 18:1-132 et seq., which feeds the annual zoning certificate under § 18:1-138.

The purpose clause in J(1) explains why the contact matters: the supplemental use is regulated to minimize adverse impacts from frequent change over of guests, increases in parking requirements, lack of familiarity with property boundaries, and excessive noise. The same list of conditions adds on-site parking for all occupants and guests and a requirement that outdoor amplified music be discontinued at 8:00 p.m. A neighbor with a complaint about any of those has a named responsible person to reach.

The contact requirement is a condition of the certificate, so a lapse in it is a compliance problem that can feed the enforcement subsection.