BALTIMORE CITY RENTAL PROPERTY INSPECTION

• All Multiple-family dwellings (MFD) must be licensed.
• All one- and two-unit dwellings must also be licensed.
• All rental units (including one- and two-unit dwellings) must pass an inspection to obtain a license.
• All rental units must have a sanitation plan educating tenants on proper waste storage and disposal.
• Effective date of January 1, 2019.
• There is now a tiered license expiration based on property owner’s compliance with code. All initial licenses are issued for a two-year period. When it is time for renewal, a landlord may be able to obtain a three-year license or be limited to a two- or one-year license based on your maintenance record and violation history.

The Baltimore City Rental Inspection takes about 30 minutes to conduct. Owners, landlords or property managers are not required to attend the inspection, however advanced noticed should be provided to any existing tenant or if vacant, proper access is available such as sentrilock or a lockbox.

We strongly recommend clients to review the inspection checklist requirements below within the unit(s) to be inspected in advance to avoid failing the inspection and having potential additional costs for re-inspections.

The following is a list of the steps you must take. This information was gathered from the City’s Licensing Requirement Brochure and Information Sheet.

• Abate any open violation notices – CLICK HERE TO CHECK FOR VIOLATIONS ONLINE.​
• Visit DHCD ONLINE to begin registration. You can also CHECK A PROPERTY REGISTRATION STATUS on the City’s website.
• If property built prior to 1978, the property must have a current Lead Certification.
• After you have registered your property and it has passed inspection, you must COMPLETE THE LICENSING PROCESS ONLINE within 30 days for 1-2 family units or within 90 days for multi-family units.​
• Print your license. Make sure license is accessible in one and two-family units and posted in multi-family dwellings.​
• Post a SANITATION GUIDE in common areas.

ONE – TWO FAMILY UNITS
Please review the City’s RENTAL LICENSE INSPECTION FORM and the City’s RENTAL LICENSING INSPECTOR GUIDANCE document for specifics of the pass/fail requirements.

MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES
Additional requirements are listed on the Checklist ADDENDUM FOR COMMON AREAS IN MULTI-FAMILY DWELLINGS, ROOMING HOUSES, AND HOTELS