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Information About Baltimore City Rental Inspection
Baltimore City now requires all residential rental units to be registered, inspected, and licensed to ensure that they meet basic safety and maintenance requirements. Previously one- and two-family dwellings were not required to be inspected and licensed to operate as a rental. On August 1, 2018, a new law took effect requiring all Baltimore City rental properties, including one- and two-family and multi-family dwellings, to be licensed to operate as a rental by January 1, 2019. If your property is not a rental but is non-owner-occupied it still must be registered annually.
In order to receive a rental license from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) the property must 1) be registered with DHCD using the online portal and 2) be inspected by a State Licensed, Baltimore City registered Home Inspector to obtain a licensed to rent your property.
Baltimore City Rental Inspection Items
- Railing is present for interior & exterior steps with more than 3 Risers
- Gas service is metered and active.
- Electric service is metered and active.
- Electrical live wires are not visible in living areas
- Electrical outlets are protected by cover plates.
- Lighting fixtures are functional and switches protected by cover plates.
- Smoke Detectors are properly installed and operational.
- Carbon Monoxide Alarms are properly installed and operational if there is a fuel fired appliance present.
- There is both hot and cold running water with the hot water having a minimum temperature of 110°F.
- Plumbing fixtures do not leak.
- All toilets properly flush.
- Property appears to be free of interior leaks from water supply and waste lines.
- Windows, which are designed to do so, open and close and have a working locking mechanism.
- All entry doors to individual units close and have a working locking mechanism.
- Exterior walls and interior ceilings, are free of openings that will allow the entry, into the home, of weather elements such as rain, snow, etc.
- Exterior gutter and downspout system is installed and designed to channel water away from the property.
- The property has an operable heat supply system.
- The interior of the property is clean and sanitary.
- The exterior is free of rodent burrows.
- If there is a bedroom in the basement, there is proper egress in case of fire.
Information about Baltimore County Rental Inspection
All rental properties must be inspected. Have an inspection performed by a State-Licensed Home Inspector. The inspector must complete an Inspection Sheet for each unit you intend to rent.
Baltimore County Rental Inspection Items
- A hardwired smoke detector with a battery backup must be located in the corridor or hallway outside of sleeping areas and on every level of the dwelling unit.
- If a fuel fired appliance is present a Carbon Monoxide Detectors should be present on every level of the dwelling and audible in sleeping areas.
- Electrical wires are not visible in living areas
- There is hot and cold running water in kitchen and each bathroom with no leaks below sink area and all toilets flush.
- There are no sleeping areas in the basement or if there is a sleeping area in the basement, there is a secondary means of escape as follows: basement window with minimum 5.7 sq. ft. opening with sill height 44 inches or less from floor OR basement door with thumb turn dead bolt.
- The furnace is either operational or because of outside temperatures it is unable to be tested
- Hand Railing is present for interior and exterior steps with more than 3 risers.
- Homes with 2-6 apartments; Do the wood balcony railings meet the requirements of the minimum livability code.
