Maryland's short-term rental fire safety law is now in effect

On October 1, 2026, Maryland's Jillian and Lindsay Wiener Short-Term Rental Safety Act took effect (House Bill 1221 / Senate Bill 624). Governor Wes Moore signed it in April. The law is named after two sisters who died in a fire at a short-term rental where, according to testimony reported by WMAR-2 News, there were no working smoke detectors.

What every host must have

The rules apply to all units rented for less than 30 consecutive days – houses, apartments, condos and co-ops. According to the state's fiscal and policy note, you must:

• post an evacuation diagram that shows all exits from the unit (and from the building, where that applies) in a visible place,
• post the emergency numbers for police and fire rescue,
• provide a working fire extinguisher,
• provide working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Where more than one smoke alarm is required, they must be interconnected unless the State Fire Marshal allows an alternative. Alarms that don't work, are more than 10 years old or have no production date must be replaced.

Platforms and inspections

Booking platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo must notify all hosts of the requirements electronically. Under the enacted text, they must also require hosts to provide the inspection confirmation for each unit. Those inspections come later: by July 1, 2028, every county (and Baltimore City) that allows short-term rentals must require annual inspections of all units. Counties may charge inspection fees. Knowingly violating the fire code is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $1,000.

The law does not force any county to allow short-term rentals, and stricter local rules still apply.

What does this mean for you?