Gaithersburg, MD Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Sec. 1, added by Ord. No. O-09-19 in 2019, requires all owners of any occupied short-term rental unit to hold a valid, unrevoked license from the city manager and makes them subject to the same application, issuance, renewal, violation, appeal and inspection-consent provisions (Secs. 18AA-4 through 18AA-12) that apply to ordinary rental licenses, plus any short-term rental regulations adopted under Sec. 2-10. A short-term rental is defined in Sec. 18AA-2 as lodging offered in a residential dwelling or accessory building for less than 30 consecutive days, and it must stay accessory to the unit's residential use.

As part of the license, a host must sign a declaration of compliance and: comply with all city, state and federal law; install approved smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms in every bedroom and on every level per Chapter 11; post emergency contacts, host contact information, the street address, a fire-exit floor plan and neighborhood services division contact information inside the unit; carry at least $1,000,000 in short-term rental liability insurance naming the city as an additional insured; keep a guest registry with names, check-in/out dates and rent paid; post the license number on every listing; remit all local taxes and fees; and, where applicable, get written HOA or condo association approval showing community fees are current within 30 days.