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Law Guide · Renting Your ADU

Renting Out Your ADU: The Rules

Long-term vs. short-term rental, county by county. Where the law is friendly, where it draws a hard line, and what your HOA gets to say about it.

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Free on-site estimates  ·  No-pressure advice  ·  Waldorf and Charles County, MD

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Long-term rental: generally the safe lane

Charles County: we found no owner-occupancy requirement in the current code or the published draft rules (full text searched) — so renting your ADU to a long-term tenant looks allowed. Confirm at permit time.
Montgomery County: long-term rental is fine, but either the main house or the ADU must be your primary residence (owner-occupancy, current law) — unless pending Bill 41-26 removes it.
Prince George's County: the proposed bill (CB-092-2026) includes an owner-occupancy requirement and caps ADU occupancy at 4 persons.
State law: HOAs may not unreasonably limit your ability to rent the ADU (Real Property §2-126) — but see short-term below.

Sources: Charles County Bill 2026-06 / ZTA 25-189 (published draft, full-text search); Montgomery County DHCA Class 3 ADU info sheet; Prince George's CB-092-2026 (proposed, via CSG testimony); Real Property §2-126.

Short-term rental: the hard lines

Montgomery County: PROHIBITED. No Airbnb or short-term residential rental on any lot with an ADU — the DHCA info sheet says it plainly.
Prince George's County: PROHIBITED (proposed). The bill's purpose clause names a short-term rental ban for ADUs.
HOAs: CAN BAN IT. Maryland law explicitly carves short-term rental out of HOA protections — an HOA Airbnb ban is not an "unreasonable limitation." Many Waldorf subdivisions have HOAs.
Charles County's own short-term rental rules for ADUs: NOT VERIFIED. Do not assume permission — ask the county and read your HOA documents.

Sources: Montgomery County DHCA info sheet (montgomerycountymd.gov); Prince George's CB-092-2026 purpose clause; Real Property §2-126.

Underwrite on long-term, hope for nothing else

The investment math works on 12-month leases. If short-term rental ever becomes allowed where you are, treat it as a bonus — never as the plan. Our rental income and ROI math page shows how to run honest numbers on long-term rent, and rental-income ADUs covers building for tenants who stay: durable finishes, separate metering potential, and privacy by design.

A note on prices: material costs move up and down, and no two lots need the same work. Treat any numbers on this site as starting points, not quotes. Your written estimate after our free lot walk is the real number for your project.

Questions homeowners ask us

Can I rent out my ADU in Charles County?

Long-term rental looks allowed — we found no owner-occupancy requirement in the current code or the published draft rules. Confirm at permit time. Short-term rental is a separate question: the county's own ADU short-term rules are unverified, and your HOA can ban it regardless.

Can I Airbnb my ADU in Maryland?

Usually no. Montgomery County prohibits short-term rental on ADU lots, Prince George's proposed bill bans it, and Maryland law explicitly lets HOAs ban it. Underwrite your investment on long-term rental only.

Does my HOA get a say in renting my ADU?

Yes. The HOA cannot unreasonably limit your ability to rent long-term, but it can ban short-term rentals outright and treat the ADU as a separate lot for dues and voting. Read your CC&Rs before counting rental income.

Do I have to live on the property to rent out the ADU?

In Charles County, no owner-occupancy rule was found. In Montgomery County, currently yes — you must live in the main house or the ADU (a pending bill may remove this). In Prince George's, the proposed bill requires it. Every county writes its own rule.

What kind of lease should I use for an ADU tenant?

A standard Maryland residential lease — 12 months is the norm this page assumes. This site does not give legal advice on leases; a Maryland landlord-tenant attorney or a solid lease template reviewed for Maryland law is worth the money before your first tenant.

What happens after you reach out

No mystery, no sales script. Here is the whole path from first call to move-in day.

1You reach outCall or send the form. Tell us about your lot and what you want the space for — a parent, rental income, a home office.
2We walk your propertyFree visit. We check setbacks, access, slope, trees, and utilities, and tell you honestly what fits.
3You get a plan and a priceA site plan and a written estimate for your lot. No pressure, no obligation, no fine print.
4Permits, then buildWe handle the Charles County paperwork and follow-ups. Then our partner builders build it.

Not sure what fits your lot? Ask us.

One call settles it — we will tell you what your property can hold and what it would take.

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