Picture two rented townhouses in Charles County. One is inside the La Plata town limits. The other is a short drive away in Waldorf or St. Charles. A town inspector already checks the first one every two years under a license the town has issued for years. The second has no county inspection unless a tenant or neighbor files a complaint.
Proposed Bill 2026-08 would close that gap. It would cover rental housing across Charles County, but rental units inside an incorporated municipality "shall not be subject to the rental licensing requirements of this chapter." La Plata and Indian Head run their own rental licensing, so the bill reaches the rest of the county: Waldorf, White Plains, Bryans Road, St. Charles and every other unincorporated community.
For anyone comparing rental properties in the county, the proposed fee hardly moves the numbers. The bigger difference is the inspection and the repairs it can turn up, and the town boundary decides whether a property already faces that or would start in 2027.
Three Jurisdictions, Similar Price Tags
For standard rentals, all three regimes in the county use a two-year license. The county's proposal would cost a little more than the towns, and none of the three is expensive.
| Unincorporated Charles County, proposed | Town of La Plata | Town of Indian Head | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | $23 one-time registration | None listed separately | $150 per unit, split as $75 inspection and $75 license |
| Standard license | $214, two-year term | $128 per unit, buildings of 4 or fewer units | Included above |
| License term | 24 months standard, 12 months short-term | Two years | Two years |
| Routine inspection | Every other year, standard rentals | Biennial for one- to three-family units | Before issuance or renewal |
| Reinspection | Additional fees possible | $108 per unit | $75 per unit |
The La Plata figures come from the town's FY2026 fee schedule, and its rules are on the town's Rental License page. Indian Head's licensing chapter is in the town code. In the county and in both towns, every rented dwelling unit needs its own license. Under the county proposal, an owner of several properties would license each one.
What Under $9 a Month Buys, and What It Doesn't
Spread over a two-year term, the county's $214 standard license comes to about $8.92 a month. The short-term license is $107 a year, which also works out to about $8.92 a month. For comparison, La Plata's per-unit fee is about $5.33 a month and Indian Head's is about $6.25.
HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria HMFA, the rent area that includes Charles County, is $2,438. At that rent, the county license fee is less than half of one percent of a single month's rent.
The repair bill is what an investor can't see in that figure. Annette Matthews, president of the Southern Maryland Association of Realtors, told commissioners at the Oct. 20 hearing that the license cost does not include the cost of required repairs, according to Southern Maryland News. "These costs would create additional pressure on rental housing, expenses and ultimately be passed along to the … tenants," she said.
Under the proposal, an inspection must happen before a license is issued or renewed. A rental administrator told the hearing that landlords would apply, schedule an inspection with the county and make any needed corrections before getting a license. For a unit with deferred maintenance, the inspection is where repair costs would come in. For a unit already in good shape, most of the cost would be the fee and the time an inspection takes.
The Inspection Checklist
The county's Rental Licensing Program page and its posted checklist describe a health-and-safety walkthrough. It is not a cosmetic review. Inspectors would look at:
- Exterior and structural condition, including handrails
- Sanitation, moisture, mold and pests
- Emergency escape openings
- Electrical, plumbing and heating systems
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and other fire safety items
- Sleeping-room occupancy
- Program compliance
Short-term rentals would also be checked for fire extinguishers, evacuation information where program standards require it, emergency contacts and occupancy limits. The Southern Maryland Chronicle reports that owners would generally get a chance to fix violations before a license is issued or renewed, unless a condition poses an immediate danger to life or safety.
The categories are much like La Plata's, which cover equipment and facilities, light, ventilation and heating, fire safety, and property maintenance standards. A landlord who has passed a La Plata inspection has a good idea of what a county inspection would cover.
Who the Draft Covers
The bill is broader than many owners might expect. It covers single-family homes, townhouses, apartments and condos. It also covers rooms rented inside an owner-occupied home and attached or detached accessory dwelling units. Nursing homes, domiciliary-care facilities, adult-living facilities and college dormitories are excluded.
The draft sorts rentals by length of stay. A rental of at least 12 hours and no more than 120 consecutive days is short-term. A rental of 121 consecutive days or more is standard. A furnished unit rented to someone for a four-month work assignment would therefore fall under the short-term license and annual inspections.
Condo and HOA status does not exempt a unit. Applicants would attest that they have any required HOA or condominium approvals, and the county says it has no duty to enforce private covenants.
The Clock, If the Bill Passes
The draft sets a schedule that runs past the next two leasing seasons:
- July 1, 2027. The program begins.
- Dec. 31, 2027. Owners of covered rentals must apply for registration and licensure by this date.
- Jan. 1, 2028. Renting, offering to rent, advertising or operating a covered unit without an accepted registration becomes a violation, subject to enforcement, civil penalties and fees.
The draft does not list penalty amounts. Fines would come from the county fee schedule, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate violation. Renewal applications would be due at least 60 days before a license expires and would require a code-compliance inspection. For a buyer closing on a rental this winter, the timeline leaves at least one full lease cycle to plan for repairs before any county inspection.
Where the Bill Stands Now
The bill is proposed and has not been adopted. It was introduced on Sept. 22, 2026. Its history goes back further. The BayNet reported that an earlier version of the concept advanced on a 3-1 vote on March 4, 2025, with a projected $320,400 startup cost and a $1.48 million annual operating budget.
At the Oct. 20 hearing, 14 speakers opposed the proposal, Southern Maryland News reported. A motion to make that day a legislative day failed on a 2-2 vote, with Commissioners Coates and Collins in favor and Commissioners Bowling and Stewart opposed. That meant the bill could not pass that day. Commissioners then voted unanimously to keep the record open for 30 days.
Associate County Attorney Marc Potter described today's process as complaint-driven and the new program as a proactive framework for healthy and safe rental housing. Several speakers asked the county to rely on existing protections, including the Tenant Safety Act of 2024. Commissioner Reuben Collins said the money would come from the county's enterprise fund, not general funds. He told the paper after the hearing that landlords "doing the right thing" should be exempt from registration fees, and that the funds could also support a task force.
Any of those ideas could change the fees in the table above before a final vote. The county's online comment form accepts comments until 5 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2026. Each comment can run up to 2,000 characters, and attachments are optional.
A Few Questions Owners Are Asking
Does a rental in La Plata or Indian Head need a county license too? No. The draft exempts rental units inside incorporated municipalities. Those units stay under their town's licensing rules.
If I rent one room in the home I live in, would my whole house be inspected? Under the draft, inspection would cover only the rented rooms and any areas the tenant shares. Your private bedroom and bath would not be included.
Would I need to register before July 2027? The draft's registration period runs from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2027. Those dates depend on the bill being adopted.
This post is general information about a proposed bill, not legal, tax or financial advice. Please confirm how any final version applies to your property with an attorney or the county's rental licensing staff.
If you own a rental in Waldorf, White Plains or Bryans Road, or you're weighing a purchase on either side of the La Plata town line, the team at Charisse Callender Scott can help you compare what each address would require and plan for an inspection before it becomes a deadline. Contact Us.
