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Howard County, MD Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

STR guest cap
None set by county
B&B Inn room limit
Six guest rooms maximum
B&B eligibility
Historic building or eased farm
Dwelling occupancy
Property Maintenance Code standards
Meals at B&B
Overnight guests only

Summary

Howard County sets no short-term-rental-specific overnight-guest cap, because it has no STR program. The one residential transient-lodging use it defines, a Bed and Breakfast Inn, is capped at six guest rooms and limited to historic buildings or farms under agricultural preservation easement.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Howard County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Bed and Breakfast Inn: A historic building, or a building on a farm with an agricultural land preservation easement, in which, for compensation, sleeping accommodations are provided to transient guests in not more than six guest rooms. A bed and breakfast inn may include the provision of meals for overnight guests only.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 91 | Zoning: Supplement 25).

Full Breakdown

There is no STR occupancy formula (such as two-per-bedroom-plus-two) in the Howard County Code because whole-house transient rental is not a permitted residential use. General occupancy of a dwelling is governed by the definition of 'family' and the Property Maintenance Code standards for floor area per occupant, enforced through the Rental Housing License inspection. The Zoning Regulations do cap the county's only residential-scale transient-lodging use: a Bed and Breakfast Inn may provide sleeping accommodations to transient guests in not more than six guest rooms, and only in a historic building or a building on a farm with an agricultural land preservation easement. Meals may be provided to overnight guests only.

Violations & Fines

Exceeding the six-guest-room limit, or operating a B&B outside a qualifying historic building or eased farm, is a zoning violation enforced by Planning and Zoning; overcrowding of rental housing is cited by DILP under the Property Maintenance Code.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many guests can a Howard County short-term rental hold?
The county sets no STR-specific overnight-guest cap. General rental-housing occupancy follows Property Maintenance Code floor-area standards checked at the license inspection; a Bed and Breakfast Inn is separately capped at six guest rooms.
Can any home become a bed and breakfast?
No. Under the Zoning Regulations, a Bed and Breakfast Inn must be a historic building or a building on a farm with an agricultural land preservation easement, and it is limited to six guest rooms.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Howard County

Parking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsShort-Term Rental PermitsHeavy RestrictionsPrimary-Residence-Only RuleHeavy RestrictionsTaxes & FeesHeavy RestrictionsParking Rules: Snow Removal Parking RulesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Curb Color RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingSome Restrictions

All Howard County rules

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