Bulletin - Annapolis, MD News Today
City Council approves Resolution R-33-26 and the higher penalty takes effect immediately for first and repeat violations alike.
Annapolis Raises Maximum Short-Term Rental Fine to $5,000 in Effort to Curb Unlicensed Operators
City Council approves Resolution R-33-26 and the higher penalty takes effect immediately for first and repeat violations alike.
Photo by Terry Granger on Unsplash
Annapolis City Council meets at City Hall to consider legislation increasing fines for short-term rental violations. | Source: https://annapolismd.granicus.com/
The Annapolis City Council voted on September 28, 2026 to raise the maximum fine for short-term rental violations from $1,000 to $5,000 with this fivefold increase to take effect immediately upon passage. It gives the city a much larger penalty to use against unlicensed hosts while it enforces a one-year moratorium on new non-owner-occupied licenses.
What the Resolution Changes
Resolution R-33-26 amends the Fiscal Year 2027 fines schedule so that violations of City Code § 17.44.090(H)(3) carry a fine "not to exceed $5,000" for both an initial offense and repeat or continuing violations. Until now, the city fined short-term rental violations at the same $1,000 rate it applies to long-term residential rentals. The resolution text states that short-term rentals face a separate regulatory framework because of their "unique community impacts, market dynamics, and enforcement challenges."
Annapolis Resolution R-33-26 raises the maximum fine for short-term rental violations under City Code § 17.44.090(H)(3) from $1,000 to $5,000 for first and repeat offenses. | Source: https://annapolismd.legistar.com/
The resolution came before the council on September 14 when Mayor Jared Littmann introduced it with Alderman Brooks Schandelmeier and Alderwoman Karma O'Neill as co-sponsors. Littmann pointed out that $5,000 is the maximum fine state law permits, although the resolution frames it as an upper limit so the city can still set lower penalties on a case-by-case basis.
Who Is Affected
The higher cap is aimed at hosts who operate without a valid license and Schandelmeier said that while most operators follow the rules, he wanted to hit the few who ignore them "with a really big hammer." The resolution changes only the fine schedule so licensed hosts who stay compliant face no new fees or requirements.
Bryan Lynn
Cody Boteler
The push follows a 2025 report from the city's Department of Planning and Zoning which estimated that only about half of the roughly 560 short-term rentals in Annapolis were properly licensed. The city counted 376 licensed short-term rentals as of September 29 and has opened 59 code violation cases against unlicensed rentals since the moratorium took effect on March 9, 2026.
How It Fits the Wider Rulebook
The new fine builds on two earlier council actions that already limit where and how short-term rentals can operate in Annapolis. The first came in October 2025 when the council capped short-term rentals at 10% of homes on each block face and set up a lottery for 2027 that favors owner-occupied rentals
The Annapolis City Council has raised the maximum violation for illegal short-term rentals to $5,000, five times what it used to be. https://t.co/rFqAztjlHy
— Capital Gazette (@capgaznews) September 29, 2026
The second followed in March 2026 with a one-year moratorium on new non-owner-occupied licenses although renewals and owner-occupied units remain exempt. Hosts can check the requirements that apply to them on the city's rental licenses page.
⦾ Effective date: Upon passage, September 28, 2026
⦾ Legislation: Resolution R-33-26 amending the FY2027 fines schedule
⦾ Code section: City Code § 17.44.090(H)(3)
⦾ Maximum fine: Up to $5,000 per violation for first and repeat offenses (previously $1,000)
⦾ License required: Yes
⦾ New non-owner-occupied licenses: Paused under a one-year moratorium that began March 9, 2026
⦾ Density cap: 10% of homes per block face
⦾ Night cap: N/A
⦾ Platform responsibility: Not addressed in this resolution
Annapolis swings ‘really big hammer’ with $5K fine for short-term rental violations https://t.co/0mI0dFRFP7
— The Baltimore Banner (@BaltimoreBanner) September 29, 2026
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