PG County Rental License: Requirements, Fees, and Inspection

A PG County rental license is issued by the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) under Subtitle 13 of the county code and is required before a landlord can collect rent on a residential property. The license runs for two years, and fees start at $152 for a single-family home or townhouse. To get one, you gather ownership and lead-paint documents, submit an application through the county’s Momentum portal, pay the fees, and pass a property inspection.

Which Properties Need a License

DPIE licenses cover all residential rentals in the county, including single-family homes, townhouses, condominiums, and multi-family apartment buildings. The county defines a “single-family rental facility” as any building or group of related buildings where a landlord provides one or two dwelling units. A dwelling unit is a single space with permanent provisions for sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation. If your property has two or more separate dwelling units, you also need a use and occupancy permit from DPIE’s Permitting and Licensing Division before a rental license will be granted.¹

Several municipalities run their own programs and are not under DPIE’s jurisdiction. If your property is in Berwyn Heights, Bowie, Brentwood, Capitol Heights, Cheverly, College Park, District Heights, Edmonston, Forest Heights, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Landover Hills, Mount Rainier, New Carrollton, Riverdale Park, Seat Pleasant, the Town of Laurel, or University Park, apply through that municipality instead.¹

Short-Term Rentals Are a Separate Track

If you list on Airbnb, Vrbo, or a similar platform, you’re under County Bill CB-11-2018, and DPIE’s Enforcement Division administers short-term rental licenses separately from the standard single-family and multi-family licenses. Applications still go through the Momentum portal.²

Documents to Gather Before You Apply

DPIE will not review an incomplete submission, so pull these together first.

Ownership verification. A copy of your HUD-1 settlement statement or deed, required when the owner name doesn’t match State Department of Assessments and Taxation records.
HOA or condo clearance. If the property is in a homeowners’ association, condo association, or housing cooperative, you need a letter confirming no liens for unpaid fees and no bylaw violations. The letter must be dated within three months of your application. If SDAT lists the property as a townhouse or condo but it’s not part of an HOA, submit a brief letter stating that.
Management company authorization. If a property manager handles the rental, include a letter or contract authorizing them, plus either a copy of your driver’s license (individual owner) or the EIN letter for the owning entity.
Lead paint compliance for pre-1978 properties. Covered below.
Life safety attestation. All applicants must attest that smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and other required life safety devices are installed, working, and maintained.

One rule that trips people up: basements cannot be used as bedrooms or habitable space unless DPIE’s Enforcement Division specifically authorizes it.¹

Lead Paint Rules for Pre-1978 Properties

If your rental was built before 1978, both state and federal lead paint obligations apply, and DPIE expects proof that the state side is handled.

Maryland MDE Registration

Maryland requires every pre-1978 rental to be registered with the Maryland Department of the Environment under an owner-specific tracking number. New registrations are due within 30 days of purchase, and renewals are due every two years on or before December 31. At each change in occupancy, the property must pass a lead dust inspection by an MDE-accredited inspector, and the interior and exterior must be free of defective paint. The inspector’s passing certificate and a copy of MDE educational materials must be given to the tenant at each new occupancy and every two years after that.³

If you don’t know your MDE tracking number, search the Lead Rental Registry online, check for email from mde.leadreg@maryland.gov, or call MDE at 410-537-4199.³

Federal EPA Disclosure

Federal law separately requires landlords of pre-1978 housing to provide tenants with specific disclosures before signing a lease. Give the tenant the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home,” disclose all known information about lead paint in the unit, hand over any available inspection reports or records, and include a lead warning statement in or attached to the lease. Keep signed copies for three years from the lease start date.⁴

The federal rule doesn’t apply to housing built after 1977, zero-bedroom units (unless a child under six lives there), leases of 100 days or less without renewal options, or housing a certified inspector has confirmed is lead-free.⁴

How to Apply Through Momentum

All Prince George’s County rental licenses are processed through the Momentum portal at momentumhome.princegeorgescountymd.gov. Create an account, upload your documents, and pay the fees online. Once DPIE reviews and approves the application, the system issues a temporary license valid for 30 to 90 days while the county schedules your inspection.¹ All applicable fees must be paid before review begins, and fees are non-refundable whether or not the license is ultimately granted.

Fee Schedule

The DPIE fee schedule effective March 2, 2025 sets the following two-year costs.

Single-family or townhouse: $152 license fee plus a $66 administrative fee, plus a 10% technology surcharge on the total.
Multi-family: $99 per unit plus a $66 administrative fee, plus a 10% technology surcharge.

Extra processing carries extra fees. A reinspection of a short-term or single-family license application costs $100. A second review of any rental license application also costs $100. Renewing an expired multi-family license carries a $500 fee.⁵

The Inspection

After the temporary license is issued, a county inspector visits the property. The inspector conducts an exterior inspection and leaves a hang tag on the front door. If there are no code violations and the tenant hasn’t raised concerns, DPIE issues the full license 48 hours after the visit.¹

If the inspector finds violations, you receive a written statement listing the defects and a 10-day window to fix them. Miss that window and DPIE can deny the application and issue a citation. The property must comply with the county housing code under Subtitle 13, Division 1, which incorporates the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code.¹p>

The county can also inspect at any time during the license period if a tenant complains about property conditions. Violations that seriously threaten occupant health or safety can lead to immediate license suspension without a hearing. Revocation requires a hearing first. While suspended or revoked, you cannot lease any unit that is vacant or becomes vacant.

Renewal Every Two Years

Single-family rental licenses are valid for two years.¹ Start the renewal process before expiration; DPIE publishes step-by-step renewal guides, and renewals go through the same Momentum portal. For multi-family properties, letting the license expire before renewing adds a $500 fee on top of the standard costs.⁵ An expired license also means you’re renting without authorization, which opens the door to enforcement action.

Renting Without a License

If DPIE discovers an unlicensed rental through a complaint or routine enforcement, it can deny the license application, issue citations, and bar you from leasing vacant units until you come into compliance.

The tenant side matters too. If an unlicensed property was in disrepair, courts have allowed tenants to pursue damages that include partial or full repayment of rent. A tenant who voluntarily paid rent on an unlicensed property in good condition generally cannot recover those payments. But a tenant living with code violations in an unlicensed unit has leverage a licensed landlord’s tenant doesn’t, and attorneys sometimes take these cases under Maryland’s Consumer Debt Collection Act without requiring upfront fees from the tenant.

1
Prince George’s County. Single-Family Rental Licensing
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Prince George’s County. Short-Term Rental Licensing
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Maryland Department of the Environment. Rental Property Owner Requirements
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Real Estate Disclosures about Potential Lead Hazards
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Prince George’s County. DPIE Fee Schedule