Property management in Prince George's County

Prince George's County and city rental licenses

• The county licenses single-family rentals and multi-family buildings of three or more units, for one to two years at the director's discretion. A multi-family license ends when the property changes hands.^[1]
• Homes inside a municipality that licenses single-family rentals itself are exempt from the county's single-family license. Municipalities with their own rental licensing include Bowie, College Park, District Heights, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Laurel, Mount Rainier, New Carrollton and Riverdale Park.^[1][2]
• Bowie licenses every rental in the city with an annual inspection, at $120 a year per unit plus a $50 application fee.^[3]
• Laurel licenses all rental units at $40 per unit a year, with a free initial inspection.^[4]
• 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.^[5][6]
• 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.^[7]

Rent increase limits

• The county's Permanent Rent Stabilization and Protection Act of 2024 caps yearly increases on covered units at the lesser of CPI-U plus 3% or 6% (the lesser of CPI-U or 4.5% for senior housing), with the allowance updated each July 1.^[1]
• Exemptions include buildings completed on or after January 1, 2000 and landlords who are individuals owning five or fewer units in the county, among others. It followed the temporary 3% cap in council bill CB-007-2023.^[1][8]
• 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.^[9]
• 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

In 2025 we placed a tenant in an owner's Accokeek townhouse; the home was on the market about a week.

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 Prince George's

We take on rental homes across the county, including Bowie, Laurel, Accokeek and the Route 210 corridor, and we check each address for city limits before we file a license.

• Bowie
• Laurel
• Accokeek
• Upper Marlboro
• Clinton

Area guides: Bowie, Laurel, Accokeek, and the Prince George's 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.