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*hb1221*
HOUSE BILL 1221
E4, C2 6lr2067
CF SB 624
By: Delegates Foley and Hutchinson
Introduced and read first time: February 11, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Safety – Short–Term Rental Units – Fire Safety 2
(Jillian and Lindsay Wiener Short–Term Rental Fire Safety Act) 3
FOR the purpose of requiring certain short –term rental units to post certain evacuation 4
diagrams and certain emergency telephone numbers in the unit and to provide fire 5
extinguishers and install certain smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms in the 6
unit; requiring a certain short–term rental host to replace a smoke alarm and carbon 7
monoxide alarm under certain circumstances; requiring certain booking services to 8
notify certain short –term rental hosts regarding certain fire safety requirements; 9
requiring a county certain counties or Baltimore City to require, through local law 10
or regulation, certain inspections and to report certain information to the State Fire 11
Marshal under certain circumstances ; requiring the State Fire Marshal to make a 12
certain report to the General Assembly; and generally relating to fire safety 13
requirements for short–term rental units. 14
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15
Article – Public Safety 16
Section 9–101(a), (c), (d), and (e) and 12–1101(a) and (b) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19
BY adding to 20
Article – Public Safety 21
Section 9–1101 through 9–1105 9–1106 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 11. 22
Short–Term Rental Fire Safety Requirements” 23
2 HOUSE BILL 1221
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 2
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 3
Article – Tax – General 4
Section 11–101(a), (j–1), and (j–3) 5
Annotated Code of Maryland 6
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 7
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 8
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 9
Article – Public Safety 10
9–101. 11
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 12
(c) “Sleeping area” means a space that includes one or more sleeping rooms and 13
a hall or common area immediately adjacent to any sleeping room. 14
(d) “Sleeping room” means an enclosed room with a bed arranged to be used as a 15
bedroom. 16
(e) “Smoke alarm” means a single or multiple station device that detects visible 17
or invisible products of combustion and includes a built–in internal alarm signal. 18
SUBTITLE 11. SHORT–TERM RENTAL FIRE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. 19
9–1101. 20
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 21
INDICATED. 22
(B) (1) “BOOKING SERVICE ” MEANS A PERSON WHO , DIRECTLY OR 23
INDIRECTLY: 24
(I) PROVIDES ONE OR MORE ONLINE, COMPUTER, OR 25
APPLICATION–BASED PLATFORMS THAT INDIVIDUALLY OR COLL ECTIVELY CAN BE 26
USED TO: 27
1. LIST OR ADVERTISE OF FERS FOR SHORT –TERM 28
RENTALS; AND 29
HOUSE BILL 1221 3
2. A. ACCEPT OFFERS FOR SH ORT–TERM RENTALS ; 1
OR 2
B. ALLOW RESERVATION OR PAYMENT FOR 3
SHORT–TERM RENTALS; AND 4
(II) CHARGES, COLLECTS, OR RECEIVES A FEE FOR THE USE OF 5
THE PLATFORM OR FOR ANY SERVICE PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH A 6
SHORT–TERM RENTAL. 7
(2) “BOOKING SERVICE ” DOES NOT INCLUDE A P LATFORM THAT 8
SOLELY LISTS OR ADVERTISES OFFERS FOR SHORT–TERM RENTALS. 9
(C) “CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 12–1101 10
OF THIS ARTICLE. 11
(C) (D) “SHORT–TERM RENTAL” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 11–101 12
OF THE TAX – GENERAL ARTICLE. 13
(D) (E) “SHORT–TERM RENTAL HOST ” MEANS A PERSON IN LE GAL 14
POSSESSION OF A SHORT–TERM RENTAL UNIT WHO RENTS THE UNIT TO GUESTS. 15
(E) (F) “SHORT–TERM RENTAL UNIT ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 16
11–101 OF THE TAX – GENERAL ARTICLE. 17
(F) (G) “SLEEPING AREA” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 9–101 OF THIS 18
TITLE. 19
(G) (H) “SMOKE ALARM” HAS THE MEANING STATED I N § 9–101 OF THIS 20
TITLE. 21
9–1102. 22
THIS SUBTITLE APPLIES ONLY TO A SHORT–TERM RENTAL UNIT OFFERED FOR 23
SHORT–TERM RENTAL FOR LESS THAN 30 CONSECUTIVE DAYS. 24
9–1103. 25
(A) IN A SHORT–TERM RENTAL UNIT, A SHORT–TERM RENTAL HOST SHALL: 26
(1) CONSPICUOUSLY POST A N EVACUATION DIAGRAM IDENTIFYING 27
ALL EXITS FROM THE S HORT–TERM RENTAL UNIT AND , IF APPLICABLE, THE EXITS 28
FROM THE BUILDING IN WHICH THE SHORT–TERM RENTAL UNIT IS LOCATED; 29
4 HOUSE BILL 1221
(2) CONSPICUOUSLY POST A LIST OF EMERGENCY TE LEPHONE 1
NUMBERS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE RESCUE SERVICES; 2
(3) PROVIDE A WORKING FI RE EXTINGUISHER IN T HE SHORT–TERM 3
RENTAL UNIT; AND 4
(4) PROVIDE WORKING SMOK E ALARMS AND CARBON MONOXIDE 5
ALARMS IN THE SHORT–TERM RENTAL UNIT. 6
(B) (1) A SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (4) OF THIS SUBSECTION , A SMOKE 7
ALARM OR CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 8
SECTION SHALL BE: 9
(I) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 10
INSTALLED AND MAINTA INED IN ACCORDANCE W ITH STATE, COUNTY, AND 11
MUNICIPAL FIRE CODES; AND. 12
(II) (2) IF IF MULTIPLE SMOKE ALARMS ARE REQUIRED TO BE 13
INSTALLED AND MAINTA INED IN THE SHORT –TERM RENTAL UNIT , EACH SMOKE 14
ALARM SHALL: 15
(I) BE INTERCONNECTED WITH OTHER SMOKE ALARMS S O 16
THAT THE ACTIVATION OF ONE SMOKE ALARM A CTIVATES ALL SMOKE A LARMS IN 17
THE SHORT–TERM RENTAL UNIT; OR 18
(II) COMPLY WITH AN ALTER NATIVE REQUIREMENT 19
AUTHORIZED BY THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL IN CONSULTATI ON WITH THE STATE 20
FIRE PREVENTION COMMISSION. 21
(2) (3) A WHEN ACTIVATED , A SMOKE ALARM OR CARBON 22
MONOXIDE ALARM SOUND FOR A SMOKE AL ARM REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION 23
SHALL BE SOUND AN ALARM THAT IS: 24
(I) CLEARLY AUDIBLE IN ALL SLEEPING ROOMS AND SLEEPING 25
AREAS IN A SHORT–TERM RENTAL UNIT; AND 26
(II) LOUD ENOUGH TO BE HE ARD OVER BACKGROUND NOISE 27
AND WITH ALL DOORS CLOSED BETWEEN THE SLEEPING ROOMS IN A SLEEPING AREA 28
AND THE SMOKE ALARM OR CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM. 29
HOUSE BILL 1221 5
(3) (4) A SMOKE ALARM OR CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM REQUIRED 1
UNDER THIS SECTION S HALL BE REPLACED IF THE SMOKE ALARM OR SMOKE 2
DETECTOR CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM: 3
(I) STOPS FUNCTIONING; 4
(II) IS MORE THAN 10 YEARS OLD BASED ON T HE PRODUCTION 5
DATE MARKED ON THE BACK OF THE DEVICE; OR 6
(III) HAS NO PRODUCTION DATE ON THE BACK OF THE DEVICE. 7
9–1104. 8
A BOOKING SERVICE SHALL: 9
(1) ELECTRONICALLY NOTIFY ALL SHORT –TERM RENTAL HOSTS 10
THAT USE THE BOOKING SERVICE OF THE FIRE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS OF THIS 11
SUBTITLE; AND 12
(2) REQUIRE EACH SHORT –TERM RENTAL HOST THA T USES THE 13
BOOKING SERVICE TO P ROVIDE TO THE BOOKIN G SERVICE CONFIRMATI ON 14
DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED TO THE SHORT –TERM RENTAL HOST UNDER § 9–1105 15
OF THIS SUBTITLE FOR EACH SHORT –TERM RENTAL UNIT OWN ED BY THE 16
SHORT–TERM RENTAL HOST. 17
9–1105. 18
(A) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A COUNTY OR BALTIMORE CITY 19
THAT PROHIBITS SHORT–TERM RENTALS IN THE JURISDICTION. 20
(B) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2028, EACH COUNTY AND BALTIMORE CITY 21
SHALL, BY LOCAL LAW OR REGULATION: 22
(1) REQUIRE THE ANNUAL INSPECTION OF ALL SHORT–TERM RENTAL 23
UNITS IN THE JURISDI CTION FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENT S OF § 24
9–1103 OF THIS SUBTITLE; AND 25
(2) SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL ON OR BEFORE 26
JULY 1, 2028, SUMMARIZING: 27
(I) EACH LOCAL LAW OR REGULATION ADOPTED ON OR AFTER 28
OCTOBER 1, 2026, GOVERNING THE INSPEC TION OF SHORT –TERM RENTAL UNITS 29
DESCRIBED IN ITEM (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION; 30
6 HOUSE BILL 1221
(II) EACH LOCAL LAW OR RE GULATION IN EFFECT B EFORE 1
OCTOBER 1, 2026, GOVERNING THE INSPEC TION OF SH ORT–TERM RENTAL UNITS 2
DESCRIBED IN ITEM (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION, INCLUDING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF 3
THE LAW OR REGULATION; 4
(III) THE NUMBER OF SHORT –TERM RENTAL UNITS IN THE 5
JURISDICTION INSPECTED UNDER ITEM (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION; AND 6
(IV) THE NUMBER OF SHORT –TERM RENTAL UNITS IN THE 7
JURISDICTION THAT AR E IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF § 8
9–1103 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 9
(B) (C) A COUNTY OR BALTIMORE CITY MAY ESTABLISH A FEE TO COVER 10
THE COST OF INSPECTI ON REQUIRED UNDER SU BSECTION (A)(1) (B)(1) OF THIS 11
SECTION. 12
(C) (D) (1) IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL, A 13
COUNTY OR BALTIMORE CITY MAY DELEGATE THE INSPECTION OF SHORT –TERM 14
RENTAL UNITS REQUIRE D UNDER SUBSECTION (A) (B) OF THIS SECTION TO A 15
THIRD–PARTY INSPECTOR WHO: 16
(1) (I) MEETS THE QUALIFICATIONS, INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS, 17
AND PROCEDURES ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL; AND 18
(2) (II) IS CERTIFIED BY A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FIRE SAFETY 19
ORGANIZATION. 20
(2) THE OFFICE OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL SHALL ESTABLI SH 21
THE MINIMUM REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND LICENSING FOR 22
A THIRD–PARTY INSPECTOR UNDER THIS SUBSECTION. 23
(D) (E) IF THE PERSON CONDUCT ING THE INSPECTION U NDER THIS 24
SECTION FINDS A SHOR T–TERM RENTAL UNIT TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WIT H THE 25
REQUIREMENTS OF § 9–1103 OF THIS SUBTITLE , THE PERSON SHALL PRO VIDE TO 26
THE SHORT –TERM RENTAL HOST A C ERTIFICATE, RECEIPT, OR OTHER 27
DOCUMENTATION OF COMPLIANCE. 28
9–1106. 29
THIS SUBTITLE MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO: 30
(1) REQUIRE A COUNTY OR BALTIMORE CITY TO AUTHORIZE THE USE 31
OF SHORT–TERM RENTALS IN THE JURISDICTION; OR 32
HOUSE BILL 1221 7
(2) PREEMPT OR PROHIBIT A COUNTY OR BALTIMORE CITY FROM 1
ENACTING OTHER MEASU RES REGARDING SHORT –TERM RENTALS IN THE 2
JURISDICTION IN ADDITION TO THE MEASURES REQUIRED BY THIS SUBTITLE. 3
12–1101. 4
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 5
(b) “Carbon monoxide alarm” means a device that: 6
(1) senses carbon monoxide; 7
(2) when sensing carbon monoxide, is capable of emitting a distinct and 8
audible sound; 9
(3) is listed and carri es the listing of a nationally recognized testing 10
laboratory approved by the Office of the State Fire Marshal; and 11
(4) (i) is wired into an alternating current (AC) powerline with 12
secondary battery backup; or 13
(ii) for a hotel, a lodging or rooming house, or a rental dwelling unit: 14
1. is wired into an alternating current (AC) powerline with 15
secondary battery backup; 16
2. is battery–powered, sealed, tamper resistant, and using a 17
long–life battery that has a life of not less than 10 years; or 18
3. is connected to an on –site control unit that monitors the 19
carbon monoxide alarm remotely so that a responsible party is alerted when the device 20
activates the alarm signal and receives its primary power from a battery or the control unit. 21
Article – Tax – General 22
11–101. 23
(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 24
(j–1) “Short–term rental” means the temporary use of a short –term rental unit to 25
provide accommodation to transient guests for lodging purposes in exchange for 26
consideration. 27
(j–3) (1) “Short–term rental unit” means a residential dwelling unit or a portion 28
of the unit used for short–term rentals. 29
8 HOUSE BILL 1221
(2) “Short–term rental unit” includes a single –family house or dwelling, a 1
multifamily house or dwelling, an apartment, a condominium, or a cooperative. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, on or before October 1, 2028, 3
the State Fire Marshal shall report to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2 –1257 4
of the State Government Article, on the information reported to the State Fire Marshal by 5
the counties and Baltimore City in accordance with this Act. 6
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 7
October 1, 2026. 8
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.