SB0666 • 2026

Real Property - Short-Term Rentals

Housing

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Senator Harris
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: In the Senate - Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Real Property - Short-Term Rentals

Prohibiting the governing body of a county or municipality from enacting a local law or ordinance prohibiting the offering of certain residential property as a short-term rental by an operator solely because the operator is a lessee or sublessee of the property; authorizing the governing body of a county or municipality to enact a local law or ordinance prohibiting the operator of a short-term rental who is a lessee or sublessee of the property from operating more than one short-term rental within the county or municipality; etc.

What This Bill Does

Prohibiting the governing body of a county or municipality from enacting a local law or ordinance prohibiting the offering of certain residential property as a short-term rental by an operator solely because the operator is a lessee or sublessee of the property; authorizing the governing body of a county or municipality to enact a local law or ordinance prohibiting the operator of a short-term rental who is a lessee or sublessee of the property from operating more than one short-term rental within the county or municipality; etc.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Senate
Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings
2026-02-12 Senate
Hearing 2/26 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-06 Senate
First Reading Judicial Proceedings
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Real Property - Short-Term Rentals
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Judicial Proceedings

Official Summary Text

Prohibiting the governing body of a county or municipality from enacting a local law or ordinance prohibiting the offering of certain residential property as a short-term rental by an operator solely because the operator is a lessee or sublessee of the property; authorizing the governing body of a county or municipality to enact a local law or ordinance prohibiting the operator of a short-term rental who is a lessee or sublessee of the property from operating more than one short-term rental within the county or municipality; etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0666*

SENATE BILL 666
N1 6lr3544
HB 705/25 – ENT CF HB 993
By: Senator Harris
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Real Property – Short–Term Rentals 2

FOR the purpose of prohibiting the governing body of a county or municipality from 3
enacting a local law or ordinance prohibiting the offering of certain residential 4
property as a short–term rental by an operator solely because the operator is a lessee 5
or sublessee of the property; authorizing the governing body of a county or 6
municipality to enact a local law or ordinance prohibiting the operator of a 7
short–term rental who is a le ssee or sublessee of the property from operating more 8
than one short–term rental within the county or municipality; and generally relating 9
to short–term rental property. 10

BY adding to 11
Article – Real Property 12
Section 14–126.1 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17

Article – Real Property 18

14–126.1. 19

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 20
INDICATED. 21

(2) “OPERATOR” MEANS THE PROPRIETOR OF ANY DWELLING , 22
LODGING, OR SLEEPING ACCOMMODATIONS OFFERED AS A SHORT–TERM RENTAL, 23
2 SENATE BILL 666

WHETHER IN THE CAPAC ITY OF OWNER , LESSEE, SUBLESSEE, MORTGAGEE IN 1
POSSESSION, LICENSEE, OR ANY OTHER POSSESSORY CAPACITY. 2

(3) (I) “SHORT–TERM RENTAL” MEANS A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING 3
UNIT OR A PORTION OF THE UNIT, INCLUDING AN ACCESSORY DWELLING, USED TO 4
PROVIDE HOUSING FOR LESS THAN 31 CONSECUTIVE DAYS. 5

(II) “SHORT–TERM RENTAL” DOES NOT INCLUDE A H OTEL OR 6
MOTEL, BOARDING HOUSE, GROUP RESIDENTIAL FA CILITY FOR STUDENTS , 7
FRATERNITY OR SORORITY HOUSE, OR SIMILAR HOUSING. 8

(B) (1) THE GOVERNING BODY OF A COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY MAY NOT 9
ENACT A LOCAL LAW OR ORDINANCE PROHIBITING AN OPERATOR FROM OFFERING 10
A PROPERTY AS A SHOR T–TERM RENTAL SOLELY BEC AUSE THE OPERATOR IS A 11
LESSEE OR SUBLESSEE OF THE PROPERTY. 12

(2) THE GOVERNING BODY OF A COUNTY OR MUNICIPA LITY MAY 13
ENACT A LOCAL LAW OR ORDINANCE PROHIBITING AN OPERATOR FROM OPERATING 14
MORE THAN ONE PROPER TY IN THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY AS A SHORT –TERM 15
RENTAL IF THE OPERATOR IS A LESSEE OR SUBLESSEE OF THE PROPERTY. 16

(C) NOTHING IN THIS SECTI ON MAY BE INTERPRETE D AS PROHIBITING A 17
PROPERTY OWNER FROM PROHIBITING OR LIMITING THE USE OF THE PROPERTY BY 18
A LESSEE OR SUBLESSEE AS A SHORT–TERM RENTAL. 19

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 20
October 1, 2026. 21