Short answer: Maryland has no statewide rental license, but several cities and counties require one. In the areas we manage, Cumberland, Frostburg, Baltimore City and Baltimore County license rentals. Havre de Grace requires registration. Unincorporated Allegany County, Bel Air and Aberdeen do not license long-term rentals. Every rental built before 1978 also needs Maryland lead paint registration, wherever it is.
Allegany County
City of Cumberland
Every rental unit in Cumberland needs a City rental license. The fee is $25 per unit per year, on a license year that runs July 1 to June 30. A City code enforcement officer inspects the unit before each new tenant moves in, unless it passed an inspection in the prior 12 months. Owners who do not live in Allegany County must appoint an agent who lives or has offices in the county. The City also expects a passing Maryland lead certificate before each new occupant. Source: City of Cumberland Rental License Program.
City of Frostburg
Frostburg licenses rental units every year. The City’s rental housing inspector does a full interior and exterior inspection every three years. Under the FY27 fee schedule, renewal costs $48 per unit if paid by February 1, and the fee rises after that. Owners who live more than 25 miles away need a local agent. Source: City of Frostburg Long-Term Rentals.
LaVale, Cresaptown, Bowling Green and other unincorporated areas
We found no Allegany County rental license. The county Livability Code sets minimum standards and is enforced when a tenant files a written complaint. Source: Allegany County Code, chapter 375.
Westernport, Lonaconing, Barton and Midland
Westernport’s published town code includes an annual rental license with inspections, but a state listing updated in 2026 shows no license, so confirm with the Town. We found no long-term rental license in Lonaconing, Barton or Midland. Source: Maryland People’s Law Library.
Baltimore area
Baltimore City
Baltimore City has two separate requirements. Every non-owner-occupied property is registered each year, due January 1, at $30 per unit for one and two unit properties. Each rental also needs a City rental license, which runs two years. The license inspection must be done by a Maryland-licensed home inspector registered with the City, no more than 90 days before the application, and lead paint compliance is a condition of the license. Source: Baltimore City DHCD Rental Licensing.
Baltimore County
All rental property in Baltimore County needs a County rental housing license before a tenant moves in. The license runs three years. For buildings of six or fewer units, a state-licensed home inspector inspects each unit, and homes built before 1978 need a lead certificate. The fee is $60 per unit for a long-term rental that is not owner-occupied. Owners who live outside Maryland must name a legal agent who lives in Maryland. Source: Baltimore County Rental Registration.
Harford County
Harford County has no county-wide rental license, and Bel Air and Aberdeen do not license long-term rentals. Havre de Grace requires every rental unit to be registered with the City before it is occupied, and the owner completes a move-in inspection with the tenant at each turnover. Source: Havre de Grace City Code, chapter 147.
Everywhere in Maryland: lead paint registration
If the home was built before 1978, it must be registered with the Maryland Department of the Environment every year ($30 per unit, due December 31), and it needs a passing lead inspection certificate before each new tenant moves in. Source: MDE rental owners. Our lead paint guide has the details.
Own a rental in Maryland? Get a free rental analysis. We tell you what the property should rent for and which of these rules apply to it.