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Queenstown, MD

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STR Regulations for Queenstown, Maryland

Overview: Are STRs allowed in Queenstown, MD?

Yes. Short‑term rentals are allowed in Queenstown, but only in the R‑1, R‑2, and TC zoning districts and only with a valid annual Town license. STRs are defined as any rental permitting occupancy of a residential dwelling by persons unrelated by blood or marriage to the owner or tenant for fewer than 30 consecutive days.

In addition to the Town license, Queen Anne’s County now requires a separate zoning certificate for “short‑term residential rentals” (annual, required since Jan 11, 2025), followed by Finance‑Office registration for room rental tax compliance.

What do Airbnb hosts actually earn in Queenstown?

Queenstown hosts earn a median $44,642/year with $450 ADR and 45% occupancy.

Top performers pull in $71,506+ per year.

See the full Queenstown market breakdown

How to start a short‑term rental business in this market

  1. Confirm zoning eligibility
  • Ensure the property is in R‑1, R‑2, or TC. Queenstown STRs are only permitted in these districts.
  1. Secure right to operate
  • If you are a tenant, obtain written consent/lease from the record title holder(s). A copy of any such lease must accompany the Town application.
  • All record title holders must jointly apply and must sign the registration/license forms.
  1. Complete the Town licensing process (annual)
  • Submit the Queenstown Short‑Term Rental License application, which collects owner, property, agent, insurance, and parking information. Pay the application fee ($250 initial; $100 renewal).
  1. Obtain the Queen Anne’s County zoning certificate (annual)
  • Apply each year through the County’s Citizen Self Service Portal, or in person at Planning & Zoning.
  • After approval, register with the County Finance Office through the Queen Anne’s County Tax Portal for room rental tax collection and remittance.
  1. Prepare and maintain compliance
  • Maintain minimum liability insurance of $500,000 covering rental use.
  • Maintain local monitoring capability through either (a) your principal residence in Town or (b) a resident agent whose home/office is within 50 miles, with 24‑hour contact information provided.
  • Enforce occupancy limits and rules in your rental agreements and ensure those documents incorporate STR regulations.
  1. Ongoing compliance and renewals
  • Maintain occupancy limits, parking, nuisance restrictions, and property maintenance code compliance.
  • Provide proof of paid Queen Anne’s County accommodation taxes for prior year(s) at license renewal.
  • Renew both the Town license and the County zoning certificate annually.

Required documents, permits, licenses, and guidelines

Town of Queenstown—Required Items

  • Short‑Term Rental License Application (annual; non‑transferable)
    • Applicant information and property details
    • All record title holders listed and signing
    • Proof of liability insurance (minimum $500,000) including carrier and policy number
    • Copy of any lease (if tenant applicant) and written consent from record title holder(s)
    • Local monitoring arrangement: owner’s principal residence in Town or resident agent within 50 miles; include agent name, address, 24‑hour phone
    • Number of off‑street parking spaces
    • Certification statements acknowledging inspection consent and agreement to comply
  • Fees: $250 application (initial), $100 renewal
  • Safety/Code Attachments (post in rental agreement): Affix a copy of Queenstown Chapter 27 STR provisions to any short‑term rental agreement

Queen Anne’s County—Required Items

  • Zoning Certificate Application for Short‑Term Residential Rentals (annual; Ordinance #24‑09 effective Jan 11, 2025)
    • Apply online: Citizen Self Service Portal (under Planning & Zoning) or in person
  • Finance Office registration for room rental tax (after zoning certificate approval)
    • Register through the Queen Anne’s County Tax Portal
    • Contact Finance Office with questions at (410) 758‑4064

Documentation to Include in Your Rental Agreements

  • Maximum occupancy rule (lesser of 12 persons or 2 per bedroom, excluding infants under 18 months)
  • Event prohibition (no receptions, banquets, corporate retreats, fundraisers, etc. that exceed occupancy)
  • Parking limits (no more than two vehicles associated with a rental may park overnight on a public street; overflow must be off‑street)
  • Nuisance prohibition
  • Safety compliance (Property Maintenance Code emergency escapes, exits, smoke alarms, and required fire extinguishers)

Specific regulations for STRs in this city, county, and state

Town of Queenstown (Chapter 27—Short‑Term Rentals; Ord. 17‑07)

  • Allowed zones: R‑1, R‑2, TC only
  • License: annual, non‑transferable; all record title holders must apply jointly
  • Liability insurance: minimum $500,000 for rental use
  • Local monitoring: owner resides in Town or designated resident agent within 50 miles; provide 24‑hour contact info
  • Fees: $250 application (initial), $100 renewal
  • Occupancy: lesser of 12 persons or 2 per bedroom, excluding infants under 18 months
  • Events: prohibited if they exceed the dwelling’s maximum occupancy
  • Subleasing: prohibited
  • Parking: no more than two vehicles associated with the STR may park overnight on a public street; more than two vehicles must park off‑street
  • Safety: comply with the Town’s Property Maintenance Code regarding Emergency Escape and Rescue Openings, exits, and smoke alarms; provide fire extinguishers
  • Nuisances: no public or private nuisance activity permitted
  • Attach STR provisions to any rental agreement; ensure occupants are aware of conditions
  • Inspections: Town may inspect with reasonable advance notice, at owner’s expense, to verify emergency escape/rescue openings and safety equipment
  • Denials, suspension, revocation grounds:
    • False or incomplete application statements
    • Serious or repeated disturbances, nuisance, or failures to monitor
    • Any violation of law/ordinance related to the STR or license terms
    • Failure to pay Queen Anne’s County accommodations tax
    • Insufficient parking in a neighborhood may limit or deny additional licenses
  • Violations and penalties: municipal infractions; $100 first infraction; up to $200 for each subsequent infraction

Queen Anne’s County (Ordinance #24‑09; effective Jan 11, 2025)

  • Short‑term residential rental defined as use/occupancy of a dwelling for a fee for less than 30 consecutive days through a hosting platform for transient occupants
  • Annual zoning certificate required from Planning & Zoning
  • After zoning certificate approval, register the STR with the County Finance Office via the Tax Portal for room rental tax compliance

State of Maryland (Room Rental Tax)

  • Maryland counties (including Queen Anne’s) levy a room rental tax on transient lodging. STR operators must register with the County Finance Office to collect and remit the tax as required. Contact the Finance Office at (410) 758‑4064 for portal access and tax procedures.

Contact information

Town of Queenstown (municipal licensing)

  • Address: Town of Queenstown, P.O. Box 4, 7013 Main Street, Queenstown, MD 21658
  • Phone: Use the phone number provided on the license application form; the published number is (410) 827‑8141
  • Office hours: Not specified; coordinate by phone/email
  • Application form and STR ordinance: Town website (Ordinance 17‑07)

Queen Anne’s County (zoning certificate and room rental tax)

  • Planning & Zoning
  • Finance Office (room rental tax registration)
    • Phone: (410) 758‑4064
    • Registration portal: Queen Anne’s County Tax Portal
  • County Commissioners Office
    • Address: 107 N Liberty Street, Centreville, MD 21617
    • Phone: (410) 758‑4098

Links to source pages

Practical next step for investors

  • Begin with zoning confirmation and gather co‑owner/lease consent. Simultaneously prepare the County zoning certificate via the Citizen Self Service Portal. After County approval, finalize Finance Office tax registration, then submit the Town license application with required proofs (insurance, monitoring, and parking details). Renew annually and retain documentation for inspections, compliance audits, and tax remittance.

Next step

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Queenstown

Market Saturation Score

036912
Mild Saturation
4/ 12
months with declining YoY revenue
2–4 declining months: early saturation pressure - watch for trend persistence.
View Full Queenstown Market Analysis

Photos of Queenstown

Overview of Queenstown

Queenstown is a small historic town in Queen Anne's County, set on Maryland's Eastern Shore just inland from the Chesapeake Bay. The community has a population of roughly six to seven hundred residents and carries the quiet, low-rise character of an older tidewater settlement, with a tidy cluster of homes around its original 18th-century crossroads. It is best known today as a waypoint along the corridor that funnels travelers across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge toward the beach resorts of Ocean City and Delaware's Atlantic coast, but it also serves as a convenient base for exploring the broader Eastern Shore. From Queenstown, Annapolis lies roughly thirty miles to the west across the bay, Baltimore is about forty-five miles to the northwest, and Washington, D.C. sits approximately seventy miles to the west-southwest.

A few miles west of town, Kent Island and the working waterfront at Kent Narrows offer some of the Eastern Shore's most popular seafood restaurants, charter fishing boats, and dockside dining rooms. The crossing of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which begins just a few miles west of Queenstown, is itself part of the regional experience and signals the transition from the densely settled Western Shore to the rural farmlands and bay country of the Eastern Shore.

About ten to fifteen minutes south, Wye Oak State Park preserves the site of what was once the largest white oak tree in the United States, and the surrounding Wye Mills area offers short walking trails and a glimpse of the rolling agricultural landscape that defines much of the upper Shore.

Further south, the historic town of St. Michaels sits roughly twenty-five minutes from Queenstown and is home to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, a waterfront campus of historic boats, working boat shops, and exhibits on the region's waterman heritage. The town itself, with its harbor, inns, and nineteenth-century streetscape, draws visitors year-round.

A similar distance to the south, the town of Easton anchors the upper Eastern Shore as a regional hub for dining, galleries, and the annual Waterfowl Festival, while the smaller port of Oxford, a short drive beyond, offers a quieter alternative that has welcomed travelers since colonial times.

Queenstown's appeal as a short-term rental base lies in its blend of small-town quiet, easy highway access via U.S. Route 50, and proximity to a deep roster of Eastern Shore attractions. Guests can spend mornings wandering historic village streets, afternoons out on the bay, and evenings sampling the region's renowned seafood, all while staying well within an hour of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the larger cities of the Baltimore–Washington corridor.

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