Maryland short-term rental fire safety law takes effect Oct 1
Maryland's Jillian and Lindsay Wiener Short-Term Rental Fire Safety Act (House Bill 1221) takes effect on Oct 1, 2026. Units rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days must have fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and posted evacuation diagrams and emergency phone numbers. Booking platforms must notify hosts, and counties must inspect properties starting in October 2028.
Maryland's Jillian and Lindsay Wiener Short-Term Rental Fire Safety Act (House Bill 1221), signed by the governor on April 14, 2026, takes effect on Oct 1, 2026, imposing mandatory fire safety requirements on short-term rental units.
The law covers units offered for short-term rental for fewer than 30 consecutive days. Hosts must post an evacuation diagram identifying all exits from the unit and, where applicable, from the building; post a list of emergency telephone numbers for law enforcement and fire rescue services; provide fire extinguishers; and install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms meeting specified installation, maintenance and replacement standards. Hosts must also replace alarms under certain circumstances.
Booking services must notify hosts about the fire safety requirements. Counties and Baltimore City must require inspections through local law or regulation and report information to the State Fire Marshal, who must report to the General Assembly by Oct 1, 2028. US media reported that the rules mainly target short-term rentals along the Eastern Shore and mountain cabins in western Maryland.Translated by 119zj