Cambridge, Maryland

Short-term rentals are permitted in Cambridge, MD, and a permit is required. Rules come from Ordinance 1204 (City Code Chapter 4, Article VII), effective September 12, 2022, and later amended. No STR may operate without a current valid permit.

There are two permit types. Type 1 covers owner or operator-occupied properties, with a $100 application fee. Type 2 covers non-owner-occupied whole-unit rentals, with a $200 application fee, and those units must also be registered as non-owner-occupied rental dwellings under City Code section 4-42. Owner occupancy and primary residence are not required citywide, so investors can operate whole-home STRs under Type 2. Permits run three years, renew at the same fee, and are not transferable to another owner, unit, or location.

A rental counts as an STR if it is for fewer than 30 consecutive days and more than 3 nights per calendar year. There is no annual night cap. Zoning follows the City of Cambridge Unified Development Code, with STRs allowed in districts where residential uses are allowed. Parking is limited: with private parking, no more than one on-street space, and without it, a maximum of two.

Operators must remit applicable taxes, including the 5% Dorchester County hotel rental tax, and platforms may collect it. Standards cover insurance, smoke and CO detectors, extinguishers, egress windows, a posted 24-hour contact, and trash rules. Inspections are complaint-based and enforcement is rated moderate. Violations are $200 for a first offense and $500 for repeats, each day counting separately, and a permit is revoked after 3 confirmed citations within 6 months. The Commissioners can cap permit counts by resolution, so confirm current rules with the city before buying.