WASHINGTON — On July 1, new regulations surrounding short-term rentals take effect in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Under the zoning text amendment approved by the Montgomery County Council in October of last year, property owners who want to rent out rooms or homes for fewer than 30 consecutive days will have to apply for a license.
The regulations would apply to rentals such as those offered on Craigslist, Airbnb, FlipKey and HomeAway, and property owners who rent out rooms, condos or single family homes would have to pay the county’s room tax.
Property owners would have to notify their homeowners associations of their intent to rent out their property, keep a log of renters who stay on the site, and renew their license annually. The application costs $150.
Once a property owner gets a license to offer short-term rentals, they’ll be issued a license identification number that’s required on every site where the property is advertised.
The license doesn’t apply to properties in Gaithersburg, Rockville and other municipalities in the county which may have their own regulations.
Under the county regulations, guests would be limited to two people in each bedroom and six guests on the property.
Virginia’s General Assembly passed a law in 2017 allowing local jurisdictions to come up with their own sets of regulations.
Fairfax County’s planning board is currently drafting proposed rules; Arlington County has regulations in effect.
