Baltimore County Rental Registration Requirements

Every rental property in Baltimore County needs a license before a tenant moves in. The Baltimore County rental registration requirements, set out in Section 35-5-201 of the county code, apply to nearly every dwelling rented for compensation, from a single-family house to a short-term listing on Airbnb. To get licensed, you need a passing safety inspection, lead-paint compliance for pre-1978 properties, and an application filed with the Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections. The license is good for three years.

Who Has to Register

The rule is broad. Baltimore County requires a rental license for dwellings with six or fewer units, including short-term rentals, and for dwellings with seven or more units.¹ If you collect rent for it, assume it needs a license until you confirm an exemption.

A limited set of properties are exempt:

Units occupied only by someone related to the owner by blood, marriage, or adoption, or under the owner’s legal custody. One additional non-minor occupant is allowed regardless of relationship.
Units already exempted from registration by federal or state law or regulation.
Dwellings listed on the National Register of Historic Places or the Baltimore County Landmarks List.

Properties with six or fewer units may qualify for additional exemptions using the county’s Exemption Affidavit, which lists the full criteria. Short-term rentals are not eligible for any exemption.¹

The Inspection You Need Before Applying

You cannot apply until a licensed inspector has evaluated the property and completed the county’s inspection sheet. The inspection focuses on safety basics:

Hardwired, battery-backed, interconnected smoke detectors on every level except unoccupied attics, garages, and crawl spaces. Units 10 years or older from the date of manufacture must be replaced. Homes built on or after July 1, 2013 also need detectors in each sleeping area.
Carbon monoxide detectors in the common area outside sleeping areas and on every level.
No exposed wiring in living areas.
Hot and cold running water in the kitchen and every bathroom, no leaks under sinks, and toilets that flush properly.
A secondary exit from basement sleeping areas: either a window with a minimum 5.7-square-foot opening and a sill no higher than 44 inches from the floor, or a door with a thumb-turn deadbolt.
An operational furnace, tested when weather allows.
Handrails on interior and exterior steps with more than three risers.
Wood balcony railings meeting the minimum livability code, for homes with two to six units.

Smoke detector layouts vary by building age and unit count, so use the county’s inspection sheet for the exact placement rules that apply to your property.²

Lead Paint Compliance for Pre-1978 Properties

If the property was built before 1978, Maryland’s Reduction of Lead Risk in Housing Act adds a separate layer of compliance, and the county will not issue your license without it.

Under Maryland Environment Article, Title 6, Subtitle 8, owners of pre-1978 rental units must register the property with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and meet the Full Risk Reduction Standard at every change in occupancy. Before a new tenant moves in, the property must pass an inspection for lead-contaminated dust performed by an MDE-accredited inspector, and it must be free of defective paint on both interior and exterior surfaces. The inspector issues a lead inspection certificate, and you must give the tenant a copy.³

Effective January 1, 2026, the MDE lead registration and renewal fee rose from $30 to $75, and it now covers two years instead of one. New registrations are due within 30 days of purchasing a rental property, and renewals are due every two years on or before December 31. Properties certified as lead-free or limited lead-free by an MDE-accredited inspector are exempt.³

Keep your MDE tracking number and current lead certificate handy. You will need both to complete the county application.

Federal Lead Disclosures at Lease Signing

Federal law adds its own pre-lease obligations for pre-1978 housing under the Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule (Section 1018 of Title X). Before the lease is signed, you must give the tenant:

A copy of the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home,” updated in January 2026 to reflect new dust-lead action levels.
Any information you have about the presence, condition, or location of lead-based paint in the property.
All records or reports from lead inspections or risk assessments, including reports covering common areas in multi-unit buildings.
A signed lead warning statement attached to or included in the lease.

Keep signed copies for three years after the lease begins. The federal rule does not require you to test for or remove lead paint, but skipping the disclosures can lead to triple damages in a lawsuit plus civil and criminal penalties. Exemptions include housing verified as lead-free, leases of 100 days or less, and senior housing where no child under six lives or is expected to live.⁴

Filing the Application

You can apply online through the Baltimore County rental license portal or by mailing a paper application to the Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections in Towson. The portal lets you upload your inspection sheet, lead certificate, and other documents and track application status. For help, contact the department at pairentalregistration@baltimorecountymd.gov or 410-887-6060.

The application asks for your name, phone number, physical address, the number of units, the dwelling type, and your MDE lead tracking number for pre-1978 properties. Owners who live outside the area may be required to designate a local agent who can accept legal notices and respond to emergencies.

Short-term rental operators pay $300 per unit.¹ Standard long-term license fees are posted on the county’s permits website and change periodically, so verify the current amount before submitting. Online applicants pay by credit card; paper applicants send a check or money order. Include every required attachment with the application to avoid delays.

Short-Term Rentals

If you list a room or unit on Airbnb, Vrbo, or a similar platform, the county treats it as a rental requiring a license. A short-term rental is a unit or room in a single-family home or condominium available for rent for less than 30 consecutive days.¹ The $300 per-unit fee is higher than for traditional rentals, and none of the long-term exemptions apply. You must be licensed before your first guest checks in.

License Term and Renewal

A Baltimore County rental license lasts three years, expiring on the third anniversary of its effective date.¹ Renewal follows the same process as the initial application: updated inspection documentation, current lead compliance for pre-1978 properties, and payment of the renewal fee. Exemptions and self-certifications renew on the same three-year schedule.

Do not let the license lapse. An expired license carries the same consequences as never registering. Set a calendar reminder well before the three-year mark so you have time to schedule a new inspection and gather updated documents.

Penalties for Renting Without a License

Operating without a valid license can bring a fine of $25 for each day the property remains unregistered. If you receive a violation notice and fail to correct it, the penalty rises to $200 per day. There is a further consequence that often surprises landlords: you cannot start eviction proceedings or any other court action against a tenant while your property is unlicensed. That gap tends to surface at the worst possible moment, when a judge asks to see a current license.

New Inspection Authority Under Bill 75-25

In November 2025, Baltimore County adopted Bill 75-25, expanding the county’s authority to inspect rental properties. Code officials can now enter a property with the tenant’s permission to investigate complaints or reasonable suspicions of unauthorized rooming and boarding houses, fire safety equipment violations, or discrepancies between the number of bedrooms on site and what the State Department of Assessments and Taxation has on file. If a tenant or owner refuses entry, the county can seek a court order.⁵ Owners who have converted basements or added bedrooms without permits are now more likely to face enforcement action between license renewal cycles.

1
Baltimore County Government. Rental Housing Registration
2
Baltimore County Government. Rental License Inspection Sheet
3
Maryland Department of the Environment. Rental Property Owner Requirements
4
United States Environmental Protection Agency. Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule Fact Sheet
5
Baltimore County Government. Bill No. 75-25