Baltimore, MD

When deciding whether to become an Airbnb host, it is important for you to understand the laws in the city of Baltimore. As a platform and marketplace, we do not provide legal advice, but we want to give you some useful links and information that may help you get familiar with the new rules.. If you have more questions after reviewing these resources, we recommend visiting Baltimore’s website, contacting Baltimore’s licensing agencies directly, and/or consulting a local lawyer or tax professional.

Registration requirements

Anyone who hosts short-term stays (fewer than 90 consecutive nights) in Baltimore is required to register their short-term rental with the city.

Step 1: Check your eligibility

Start the registration process on the city’s website. The city of Baltimore allows you to get a maximum of two short-term rental licenses, one for use in your permanent residence and one for a secondary unit that meets the criteria for being grandfathered (see the city’s FAQ for the criteria). 

If one or more of your properties are not eligible as a short-term rental, you can switch to long-term stays.

A few listing types are exempt from registering as short-term rentals. If your listing is exempt, you don’t need to register, but you will still need to claim an exemption through Airbnb to keep hosting.

• Long-term stays (change your calendar settings to 90+)
• Hotels and motels (including boutique hotels and motels)

Step 2: Get a short-term rental license

Apply for a short-term rental license on the city’s website, the process is an easy three steps. Short-term rental registration costs $200 and is good for two years.

As part of the registration process, you’ll need to obtain a state Tax ID, which can take up to two weeks.

After the city processes your application, you’ll receive your short-term rental license number. This process could take a few days.

Step 3: Add your registration number to your listing

Next, you’ll need to add your license number to your Airbnb listing to your listing to finalize your registration with the city.