Renting in Maryland for under 30 days? 4 fire-safety items are now law.
Quick answer
Booking services must now require your compliance documentation for every unit (Public Safety § 9-1104), and by July 1, 2028 every county and Baltimore City must require an annual inspection of each short-term rental (§ 9-1105). Since October 1, 2026, a host of a unit offered for less than 30 consecutive days shall conspicuously post an evacuation diagram identifying all exits, conspicuously post a list of emergency telephone numbers for law enforcement and fire rescue services, provide a working fire extinguisher, and provide working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms (§ 9-1103(a)). Multiple smoke alarms must be interconnected (or meet a State Fire Marshal alternative), and any alarm over 10 years old or with no production date must be replaced (§ 9-1103(b)). The Act sets no fixed dollar fine.
Last verified October 16, 2026 against the official Maryland General Assembly text. Not legal advice.
If you host on a booking platform, co-host, or manage a Maryland house, apartment, condo or room rented for less than 30 nights, the Jillian and Lindsay Wiener Short-Term Rental Safety Act (2026 Md. Laws chs. 9 and 10) already applies. The usual gaps: no posted evacuation diagram, no posted emergency numbers, separate smoke alarms that do not sound together, and old or undated alarms that the law says must be replaced.
This kit turns those duties into one walk-through: the law quoted word for word, print-ready signs, and a log that keeps your alarm, extinguisher and photo records together for each unit.
- ✓Requirement-by-requirement checklist with Public Safety §§ 9-1101–9-1106 quoted word for word
- ✓Printable evacuation diagram shell (unit exits, building exits, routes, meeting point)
- ✓Emergency telephone numbers sign (law enforcement and fire rescue)
- ✓Guest fire safety information sheet
- ✓Excel alarm inventory that flags alarms over 10 years old or with no production date (§ 9-1103(b)(4))
- ✓Alarm test log, extinguisher log, and postings & photos log per unit
- ✓Platform & inspection documents tracker for § 9-1104 and the 2028 county inspections
- ✓Official Maryland General Assembly links
Blank templates from the public law. Not legal advice; it does not inspect or certify your unit or decide how many alarms your fire code requires. Covers Md. Code, Public Safety Title 9, Subtitle 11 (§§ 9-1101–9-1106), in force October 1, 2026. English only.
- ✓Instant download after payment
- ✓Official sources listed in the kit
- ✓12-month re-download access
- ✓Secure checkout by Stripe
Frequently asked questions
When did Maryland’s short-term rental fire safety law take effect?
2026 Md. Laws ch. 9 and ch. 10 (HB 1221 / SB 624), the Jillian and Lindsay Wiener Short-Term Rental Safety Act, were approved by the Governor on April 14, 2026. Section 3: “this Act shall take effect October 1, 2026.” It adds Public Safety §§ 9-1101 through 9-1106.
Does the law apply to my rental?
§ 9-1102: “This subtitle applies only to a short–term rental unit offered for short–term rental for less than 30 consecutive days.” A short-term rental unit is a residential dwelling unit or a portion of the unit used for short-term rentals, including a house, apartment, condominium or cooperative (Tax-General § 11-101(j-3)). The host is the person in legal possession of the unit who rents it to guests (§ 9-1101(e)).
What must a host post and provide in the unit?
§ 9-1103(a): a short-term rental host shall (1) conspicuously post an evacuation diagram identifying all exits from the unit and, if applicable, the exits from the building; (2) conspicuously post a list of emergency telephone numbers for law enforcement and fire rescue services; (3) provide a working fire extinguisher in the unit; and (4) provide working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms in the unit.
What are the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules?
Under § 9-1103(b), alarms are installed and maintained per State, county and municipal fire codes. If multiple smoke alarms are required, they must be interconnected (one activates all) or meet an alternative authorized by the State Fire Marshal. Smoke and CO alarms must be clearly audible in all sleeping rooms and sleeping areas with doors closed. Replace any alarm that stops functioning, is more than 10 years old by the production date on the back, or has no production date.
What do booking platforms have to do?
§ 9-1104: a booking service shall electronically notify hosts of these requirements and require each host to provide the confirmation documentation provided under § 9-1105 (the inspection certificate, receipt or other documentation of compliance) for each unit. A platform that solely lists or advertises rentals is not a booking service (§ 9-1101(b)(2)).
When do annual inspections start?
§ 9-1105(b): on or before July 1, 2028, each county and Baltimore City (unless it prohibits short-term rentals) shall, by local law or regulation, require the annual inspection of all short-term rental units for compliance with § 9-1103. Counties may charge an inspection fee and use qualified third-party inspectors. A unit found compliant gets a certificate, receipt or other documentation of compliance (§ 9-1105(e)).
Is there a fine?
Subtitle 11 (§§ 9-1101–9-1106) has no penalty section and no fixed dollar fine. The DLS fiscal and policy note says: “The application of existing criminal penalty provisions to violations of the bill does not materially affect State finances.” What the law itself spells out: booking services must require your compliance documentation for every unit (§ 9-1104), counties must require annual inspections by July 1, 2028 (§ 9-1105), and local governments may add other measures (§ 9-1106).
Is this legal advice?
No. This page and the kit are general information and blank templates built from the public law. They are not legal advice, do not inspect or certify your unit, are not tailored to your property, and buying a kit does not create a lawyer-client relationship. For your own situation, ask a Maryland licensed attorney or your local fire official.
Official sources
- § 9-1101 — Definitions (host, booking service)
- § 9-1102 — Applies to rentals of less than 30 consecutive days
- § 9-1103 — Host requirements: diagram, numbers, extinguisher, smoke and CO alarms
- § 9-1104 — Booking services
- § 9-1105 — County annual inspections by July 1, 2028
- § 9-1106 — Local measures not preempted
- § 12-1101 — Carbon monoxide alarm definition
- Tax-General § 11-101 — Short-term rental definitions
- 2026 Md. Laws Chapter 9 (HB 1221) — effective October 1, 2026
- 2026 Md. Laws Chapter 10 (SB 624)
- HB 1221 bill page (Maryland General Assembly)
- DLS fiscal and policy note, HB 1221
Law text checked against the official sources above on October 16, 2026. General information, not legal advice; laws change, so check the current official text before you rely on it.
Who wrote this and how it was checked
Written and maintained by Astor Ventures. We publish template kits built from public law; we are not a law firm, and no attorney has reviewed this page.
- Last verified: , against Public Safety §§ 9-1101 through 9-1106 and 12-1101, Tax-General § 11-101, and the chaptered texts of HB 1221 / SB 624 on mgaleg.maryland.gov.
- Next scheduled check: quarterly, and when counties adopt their inspection rules ahead of July 1, 2028.
- Found an error? Email [email protected] and we will correct the page and the kit.