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STRVE

Annapolis, MD Short-Term Rental Rules (2026)

Can I operate a short-term rental in Annapolis?

Annapolis has the tightest rules of the two: new licences for non-owner-occupied STRs are currently on hold, blocks above the density threshold are closed to new licences, and a 2027 lottery will shrink the existing stock. Owner-occupied rentals remain licensable, and existing licences can renew through November 2027.

Score30 · Restrictive
TrendTightening
StatusNew permits closed
Verify requirementsLast checked October 17, 2026. Rules change between checks. Confirm with the jurisdiction.

Key facts

What the record says about short-term rentals in Annapolis, with the level of law each comes from. What do these facts mean?

Can you operate?

Permit or licenseYes

City

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Permit capCap reached, waitlist

City · as of Nov 2026Source

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New permits pausedYes

City

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Primary residence requiredConditional

City

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Unhosted stays allowedConditional

City · as of Oct 2026Source

Zone eligibilityUnknownNot established in our research yet

Stay limits

Minimum stayNo minimum

City · as of Sep 2026

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Nights per year183 nights/yr

City · as of Sep 2026

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Occupancy limit2 per bedroom

City · as of Nov 2026Source

Taxes

Lodging tax13%

City

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Platform collects taxYes

Platform rules (Airbnb/VRBO) · as of Oct 2026Source

Annual permit cost
Pending legislation
Enforcement fines
Density limit
Permit number in listing
Local contact required
Unlock full details (free)13 more facts on file for Annapolis

Looking at a property in Annapolis?

Get cash flow, cap rate, and what these rules mean for that address.

Why this score

The main reasons Annapolis scores the way it does. Listed most important first.

What holds it back

  • Unhosted stays allowed (Conditional) sets a hard limit on how high the score can go.Source
  • New permits paused (Yes) sets a hard limit on how high the score can go.
  • Permit cap (Cap reached, waitlist) sets a hard limit on how high the score can go.Source

Operating restrictions

What limits how, where and how often you can rent in Annapolis.

Owner-occupancy / primary-residence rules

Owner-occupied rentals, meaning the owner lives there at least six months a year, are exempt from the density cap and the new-licence hold. The 2027 lottery will prioritize owner-occupied rentals over non-resident and non-occupying local owners. Each person may own one licensed STR, and the owner or a manager must live in the city.

  • Owner-occupied track exempt from density cap and licence hold
  • One licensed STR per owner
  • Owner or manager resident in the city

Enforcement / penalties

Compliance is a live problem: a 2025 city report found only about half of an estimated 560 STRs were licensed. In September 2026 the council raised the maximum civil fine for violations, and the city opened dozens of code cases against unlicensed operators after the hold began. Planning and Zoning reports monthly to the council on licensing and enforcement.

  • Civil fine up to $5,000 per violation under City Code 17.44.090

New to this? Owner-occupied vs non-owner-occupied STRs, explained

Permit requirements

What you need to file or hold before hosting in Annapolis.

Permits & licensing

A city licence from Planning and Zoning is required before listing. The licence must identify the licence holder and any property manager. The 2024 amendments bar listing before approval and require proof of condo or HOA consent. The current hold on new non-owner-occupied licences runs into March 2027.

  • City STR licence before advertising ($400/yr)
  • Hold on new non-owner-occupied licences into March 2027
  • Block-face density limit on new licences
  • Proof of condo or HOA consent where required

New to this? How short-term rental permits and licensing work

Taxes

Lodging, occupancy and related taxes or fees.

Taxes & fees

State sales tax and a city hotel occupancy tax apply to STR stays, and Airbnb collects and remits both for bookings made through it. County registration and county occupancy tax do not apply inside city limits.

  • Annual licence fee ($400/yr)

New to this? Short-term rental lodging taxes, explained

Recent changes

The dated change history is part of the free account. Email alerts above need no account.

Market assumptions

Estimates, not law

Revenue, occupancy and returns depend on the specific property and are estimates, separate from the rules above.

Run any property in Annapolis through the deal analyzer for cash flow, cap rate, and long-term projections.

Sources

Last verified October 17, 2026 (24 days ago). Short-term rental rules can change between checks. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction before relying on this for a real decision.

A free STRVE account shows which rule each source supports, plus the full jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction breakdown, change history, and rule-change alerts for Annapolis.

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More STR-friendly options nearby

Nearby cities with a higher regulation score than Annapolis.

Short-term rental rules near Annapolis

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How we research this

The STRVE Score is our own regulation rating, built from seven levels of authority: state, county, town, HOA, deed restrictions, special districts, and platform rules. Each level is scored separately, with its own citations and the date we verified it. The headline number is the strictest of the seven, never an average, because the tightest rule is the one that governs you.

We keep a history of what a city's rules said before and when they changed, so a score that moves is traceable to the rule that moved it.

Highly permissive
90+
Friendly
70–89
Moderate
45–69
Heavily restricted
20–44
Effectively banned
0–19

Not legal advice

STRVE is a research tool, not financial or legal advice. Always verify regulation, tax, and permitting details with the local jurisdiction and a licensed professional before you buy.

The STRVE Score and the seven-level breakdown are our own rating framework, not an official or government rating, and no jurisdiction endorses or reviews them. The rules behind them are researched from public sources with AI assistance and are current only as of the verification date shown, so they can be incomplete, outdated, or wrong. None of it substitutes for advice from local counsel. Confirm every permit, tax, occupancy, and zoning requirement against the jurisdiction's own municipal code and with an attorney licensed in that jurisdiction before you buy, list, or operate. Terms of Service