Property management in Baltimore County

Baltimore County rental registration and license

• Rentals with six or fewer units, short-term rentals included, must be registered and licensed with the county before a tenant moves in.^[1]
• Each unit must be inspected by a state-licensed home inspector, who fills out the county's inspection sheet covering items like smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, electrical hazards, plumbing and windows. The inspector's fee is set between the owner and the inspector.^[1]
• Buildings with seven or more units follow a separate path: a self-certified registration if there were fewer than three violations in three years, otherwise inspection of 10% of the units.^[1]
• Where a county or city requires a rental license, a landlord without one can't bring a failure-to-pay-rent case.^[2]

Lead paint rules for older rentals

• Maryland's lead law covers rentals built before 1978. Each one must be registered with the Maryland Department of the Environment, and registration is renewed by December 31.^[3][4]
• At every change of tenant the home has to meet the lead risk-reduction standard and pass a lead-dust test before the next tenant moves in. We schedule the work and the test as part of the turnover.^[5]

Deposits, leases and other rules

• Maryland caps a security deposit at one month's rent and requires it back, with an itemized list of any deductions, within 45 days after the tenancy ends. Wrongly keeping it exposes the landlord to triple damages.^[6]
• Deposits of $50 or more held six months or longer earn interest at the greater of the one-year Treasury rate or 1.5%.^[6]
• We consider applicants who pay with a housing voucher or any other lawful source of income on the same terms as everyone else, as Maryland's HOME Act requires, and handle Housing Choice Voucher inspections and paperwork.

What homes rent for

We price each home from homes that actually leased nearby, not from list prices. The free rent analysis shows the range, the comps behind it, our fees and what you would net.

Where we work in Baltimore County

Our renovation crew already works across Baltimore County, so inspection repairs and make-ready work are handled in-house. Towson's rental market runs on demand around Towson University, which enrolled 20,072 students in fall 2026.^[7]

• Towson
• Parkville
• Catonsville
• Pikesville
• Owings Mills

Area guides: Towson, Parkville, Catonsville, Pikesville, Owings Mills, and the Baltimore City and County guide.

Fees

Monthly management

10% of the rent collected

Tenant placement

One month's rent, one time

Free rent analysis

A rent range from leased comps, the full fee schedule and your projected net

The full schedule, including renewals and evictions, is on our property management page and comes with every rent analysis.

Repairs and turnovers

Maintenance, make-ready work and bigger repairs go to Monarch Bay Renovations, a licensed Maryland home improvement contractor (MHIC #149066). Repairs are priced up front, and non-urgent work over the limit in your management agreement waits for your OK.

Affiliated business disclosure: Monarch Bay Renovations (MHIC #149066) is a separate company owned by Stephen Wilson, the team lead. You are free to use any contractor you choose.