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Local guide

Baltimore Short-Term Rental Laws

Baltimore, Maryland STR compliance: Baltimore requires a short-term residential rental license and generally limits it to the host’s principal residence. Review property eligibility, Short-Term Residential Rental License, Maryland sales tax on transient accommodations, and renewal actions from official sources.

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  • Official sources
  • Address used only for local rules

Compliance layers

A Clear Answer, Then a Path Forward.

Critical Finding

See whether the property can operate now, what blocks it, and which exception may apply.

Address Context

Confirm zoning, current land use, jurisdiction, and the rules that actually govern the address.

Required Approvals

Get the permits, licenses, documents, inspections, and tax registrations needed before launch.

Recommended Path

Follow prioritized next steps, deadlines, renewal duties, and viable alternatives when rules change.

Occupancy tax calculator

Estimate occupancy tax in Baltimore

Enter the nightly rate and stay length to estimate the lodging taxes and guest total for this jurisdiction.

Gross rent$150.00 × 3 nights
$450.00
Mandatory taxable feesRequired cleaning, resort, or similar fees included in the tax base.
$0.00
Maryland state sales and use tax on taxable accommodation consideration (6%) $450.00 × 6%
$27.00
Baltimore City hotel room rental tax (9.5%) $450.00 × 9.5%
$42.75
Estimated taxes and fees
$69.75

Guest pays

$519.75

Assumptions used

  • Two tax layers on one base: Maryland 6% and Baltimore City 9.5% are separate lines on the shared lodging consideration.

What may change the final amount

  • Booking channel affects remittance duties. Maryland and City sources address intermediaries, hosts and platforms; confirm collector and residual filing duties.
Open the full occupancy tax calculator

Estimated tax is $69.75. Estimated guest total is $519.75.

Estimate only. Verify the property jurisdiction, exemptions, taxable charges, filing duties, and marketplace collection with the linked official sources.

Decision rule

Baltimore: resolve “Prove principal-residence status unless a narrow grandfathered exception applies” before relying on the Short-Term Residential Rental License

Baltimore requires a short-term residential rental license and generally limits it to the host’s principal residence.

Prove principal-residence status unless a narrow grandfathered exception applies. This is the first property-level screen for the Baltimore filing.

Renew on the license schedule and recheck principal-residence eligibility every cycle. Treat renewal status as part of continued eligibility, not an administrative afterthought.

  • Short-Term Residential Rental License

    Baltimore requires a short-term residential rental license and generally limits it to the host’s principal residence.

    Warning

Local facts that distinguish Baltimore

Prove principal-residence status unless a narrow grandfathered exception applies. Only after that result can this address move from research to an active Short-Term Residential Rental License.

Legal posture
Baltimore requires a short-term residential rental license and generally limits it to the host’s principal residence.
Local approval
Short-Term Residential Rental License
Eligibility boundary
Prove principal-residence status unless a narrow grandfathered exception applies.
Property or operator condition
Obtain the property-specific license before advertising or operating.
Approval prerequisite
Keep the City license, Maryland tax account, and any platform collection evidence as separate records.
Continuing duty
Renew on the license schedule and recheck principal-residence eligibility every cycle.

Test the Baltimore address against its local rules

Apply “Prove principal-residence status unless a narrow grandfathered exception applies” to the actual parcel and rental model before opening the Baltimore government case.

  • Prove principal-residence status unless a narrow grandfathered exception applies

    Prove principal-residence status unless a narrow grandfathered exception applies. Retain the official Baltimore result that proves this condition; a contrary result stops the Short-Term Residential Rental License path.

    Required

  • Obtain the property-specific license before advertising or operating

    Obtain the property-specific license before advertising or operating. Retain the official Baltimore result that proves this condition; a contrary result stops the Short-Term Residential Rental License path.

    Required

  • Keep the City license, Maryland tax account, and any platform collection evidence as separate records

    Keep the City license, Maryland tax account, and any platform collection evidence as separate records. Retain the official Baltimore result that proves this condition; a contrary result stops the Short-Term Residential Rental License path.

    Required

Move the Baltimore decision “Obtain the property-specific license before advertising or operating” into an active Short-Term Residential Rental License

Start with “Obtain the property-specific license before advertising or operating”; the resulting local record keeps the Baltimore land-use decision distinct from tax registration and renewal.

  1. Prove principal-residence status unless a narrow grandfathered exception applies

    Prove principal-residence status unless a narrow grandfathered exception applies. The observable result is a property-specific record supporting this eligibility decision; otherwise correct the address or rental model before filing.

  2. Obtain the property-specific license before advertising or operating

    Obtain the property-specific license before advertising or operating. The observable result is a property-specific record supporting this classification decision; otherwise correct the address or rental model before filing.

  3. Keep the City license, Maryland tax account, and any platform collection evidence as separate records

    Keep the City license, Maryland tax account, and any platform collection evidence as separate records. The observable result is a property-specific record supporting this prerequisite decision; otherwise correct the address or rental model before filing.

  4. Submit after documenting “Keep the City license, Maryland tax account, and any platform collection evidence as separate records”

    Use https://codes.baltimorecity.gov/us/md/cities/baltimore/code/15/48-6. Keep the Baltimore case identifier and agency response alongside the evidence for “Keep the City license, Maryland tax account, and any platform collection evidence as separate records”; payment or submission alone is not proof that the Short-Term Residential Rental License is active.

  5. Set up Maryland Maryland sales tax on transient accommodations

    Maryland treats charges for transient accommodations as a state sales-and-use-tax issue. Register and file through the Comptroller for bookings the operator must report.

  6. Preserve the Baltimore approval after issuance

    Renew on the license schedule and recheck principal-residence eligibility every cycle.

Separate the Baltimore charge from Maryland tax

City of Baltimore does not state a verified fixed fee in this guide; before payment, use its cited application after resolving “Keep the City license, Maryland tax account, and any platform collection evidence as separate records”.

Prove principal-residence status unless a narrow grandfathered exception applies. The resulting Baltimore approval and the Maryland sales tax on transient accommodations record solve different compliance problems; neither substitutes for the other.

  • Maryland sales tax on transient accommodations

    Maryland treats charges for transient accommodations as a state sales-and-use-tax issue.

  • Marketplace and direct bookings

    Local hotel or occupancy taxes remain a separate county or municipal layer.

  • State filing control

    Register and file through the Comptroller for bookings the operator must report.

Keep the Baltimore approval aligned with the licensed property

Renew on the license schedule and recheck principal-residence eligibility every cycle.

  • Retain the active Short-Term Residential Rental License

    Match the issued record to Baltimore, the property address, and the approved rental class while continuing to satisfy “Prove principal-residence status unless a narrow grandfathered exception applies”.

    Required

  • Continue to satisfy: Prove principal-residence status unless a narrow grandfathered exception applies

    Recheck this Baltimore condition together with the continuing duty “Renew on the license schedule and recheck principal-residence eligibility every cycle” before changing ownership, occupancy, unit configuration, or the listing model.

    Required

  • Continue to satisfy: Obtain the property-specific license before advertising or operating

    Recheck this Baltimore condition together with the continuing duty “Renew on the license schedule and recheck principal-residence eligibility every cycle” before changing ownership, occupancy, unit configuration, or the listing model.

    Required

  • Maintain Maryland records

    Local hotel or occupancy taxes remain a separate county or municipal layer. Register and file through the Comptroller for bookings the operator must report.

    Required

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Short-Term Residential Rental License. Baltimore requires a short-term residential rental license and generally limits it to the host’s principal residence.

Prove principal-residence status unless a narrow grandfathered exception applies.

Obtain the property-specific license before advertising or operating. Keep the City license, Maryland tax account, and any platform collection evidence as separate records.

Maryland sales tax on transient accommodations. Maryland treats charges for transient accommodations as a state sales-and-use-tax issue.

Renew on the license schedule and recheck principal-residence eligibility every cycle.