STR rules · verified 1mo ago
Short-term rental rules in Garrett County, MD
Garrett County (Oakland seat, home to Deep Creek Lake — Maryland's largest inland body of water — and Wisp Resort) operates one of Maryland's most developed county-level short-term rental programs through its Transient Vacation Rental Unit (TVRU) Licensing Ordinance (enacted March 1, 2006). A TVRU is defined as a building offering complete living facilities for one single family with a maximum of 8 bedrooms and overnight occupancy capped at 'two persons per bedroom plus four additional persons,' rented in periods of 14 days or less. Inside the Deep Creek Watershed Zoning District (administered by a dedicated Board of Zoning Appeals), a TVRU zoning permit costs $50 and is required before licensing. The county levies an 8% accommodations tax remitted monthly; trash containers must be bear-proof. Maryland has no statewide STR preemption.
What's behind the sign-in
- Registration fees — initial + annual renewal cost, per permit type
- Permit caps + waitlists — exact cap values, current waitlist counts
- Owner-occupancy rules — days/year requirement, permit-class splits
- Zoning carve-outs — which districts allow / disallow STR
- Tax stack — TOT, hotel, county + state layers
- Stay limits — min/max nightly, max nights/year
- Operational requirements — parking, insurance, fire inspection, neighbor notice
- Penalties — per-night fines, revocation thresholds
- City-specific gotchas — HOA carve-outs, pending legislation, recent court rulings
- Refresh on demand — re-run the agentic pipeline against the city's current ordinance
Frequently asked
Are short-term rentals legal in Garrett County, MD?
Garrett County is currently permitted for short-term rentals. Active permits with clear rules and no recent ordinance tightening — stable for new STR investment. For the actual fees, caps, owner-occupancy rules, and city-specific gotchas, sign in.
Do I need a permit to run an Airbnb in Garrett County?
Almost certainly yes — almost every U.S. city now requires a short-term rental permit, vacation rental permit, or transient lodging permit before you can legally list. The specifics for Garrett County (cost, renewal cycle, required documents) are behind sign-in. You can also read the source ordinance directly: https://www.garrettcountymd.gov/community-development/planning-land-management/transient-vacation-rental-units-tvrus.
What happens if I rent without a permit in Garrett County?
Most cities charge per-night fines (a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per violation), escalating to cease-and-desist letters and platform delisting on repeat. Airbnb and Vrbo now share permit-validation feeds with most major cities, so unpermitted listings get blocked at the platform level. Sign in to see the specific penalty schedule for Garrett County.
How current is this data for Garrett County?
This record was verified 1mo ago against the city's published ordinance (.gov or the city's official municipal-code publisher). Cached cities re-verify on a cadence — daily for cities under active legislation, weekly otherwise. Signed-in users can hit Refresh on any city to force a fresh pull. If you're underwriting a deal, always confirm against the city's code-enforcement office before closing.
Can my HOA or condo association ban STRs even if Garrett County allows them?
Yes. City permits authorize you under municipal law, but your HOA, condo association, or co-op board sets contractual rules that override the city for your unit. Many HOAs adopted blanket STR bans between 2018 and 2024 in response to neighbor complaints. Read the CC&Rs, bylaws, and rental addendums before you buy with an STR plan — the city saying yes does not mean your building says yes.