MoCo limits unhosted short-term rentals to 120 nights per year. No cap applies when the owner is present. The property must be the owner primary residence.
Montgomery County Code Chapter 54 imposes a cap of 120 rental nights per calendar year for short-term rentals when the owner is not present on the property during the guest stay. When the owner remains on-site during the rental period, there is no annual cap on the number of nights the property may be rented. This distinction encourages owner-occupied hosting and discourages full-time unhosted vacation rental operations. The property must be the primary residence of the licensee regardless of hosting style. Hosts must track and report their rental nights to DHCA. Online platforms may assist with tracking but hosts bear ultimate responsibility for compliance. Exceeding the 120-night unhosted cap is a licensing violation. The City of Rockville was considering its own night-cap provisions as part of proposed local STR regulations discussed in 2023. If Rockville enacts its own rules, they may be more restrictive than the county framework.
Exceeding the 120-night unhosted cap is a Class A civil violation with fines up to $1,000 per offense. DHCA may suspend or revoke the license for repeated overages.
See how other cities in Montgomery County handle night caps.
See how Rockville's night caps rules stack up against other locations.
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