Maryland Tiny Home Zoning Laws
Maryland is in the middle of a real, dated statewide shift, similar in spirit to Virginia's incoming law but with its own specific timeline and terms.
- The Accessory Dwelling Units Act of 2025 (SB 891/HB 1466) took effect October 1, 2025.
- Local governments must adopt compliant ADU laws by October 1, 2026 — check today's date against that deadline.
- Once compliant, ADUs up to 75% of the primary home's size must be permitted on single-family zoned land.
- Baltimore City specifically had not yet adopted a compliant law as of early 2026 — its own bill was still in committee.
- Compliance is rolling out unevenly — don't assume universal compliance until you confirm your specific jurisdiction.
A real, signed statewide mandate: the Accessory Dwelling Units Act of 2025 (Senate Bill 891 and House Bill 1466) took effect October 1, 2025, and requires local legislative bodies statewide to adopt laws authorizing ADU development by October 1, 2026.5,6 Once compliant, ADUs — defined as secondary dwelling units up to 75% of the primary home's size — must be permitted on properties zoned for single-family homes.5 As with Virginia's law, confirm today's date against this deadline before assuming universal compliance yet.
1. Before the Act Fully Takes Hold: The Existing Patchwork
| County | Notable Detail |
|---|---|
| Montgomery County | Leads the state in progressive ADU policy; enacted its own ADU legislation in 2019 with 222 ADUs approved and permitted since then; allows one accessory unit per 300–500 ft of lot frontage6,8 |
| Howard County | Council Bill 3-2026, signed February 6, 2026 and effective April 8, 2026, expands ADU opportunities to align with the state's new law, allowing both attached and detached ADUs in various residential zones1,2 |
| Baltimore County | Follows the International Residential Code as adopted statewide; tiny homes legal subject to standard permitting and inspection3 |
| Frederick County | Recognizes ADUs in several residential and agricultural zones, allowing a tiny house on a foundation as a primary dwelling on qualifying lots9 |
| Garrett County | Home to Blue Moon Rising, a real tiny home community in the mountains built around sustainable living3,10 |
| Anne Arundel County | Bill 92-25, introduced December 2025, would allow cottage home communities up to 10 units per acre on qualifying wooded, residentially zoned lots10 |
| Baltimore City | Has not yet adopted a compliant ADU law as of recent tracking; its changes are folded into Council Bill 25-0066 (the Housing Options and Opportunity Act), introduced May 12, 2025 and still in committee as of a February 12, 2026 worksession11 |
Compliance across the state is genuinely mixed and changing week to week as the October 2026 deadline approaches; some counties that already had ADU ordinances are amending them, while others are drafting from scratch under real time pressure. We're not publishing a full county-by-county compliance table built on news coverage alone, since it would likely be stale within weeks — search your specific county or city's legislative portal (most run Legistar or an equivalent) for current status.
2. Homes on Wheels
Tiny houses on wheels (THOWs) face restrictions on permanent residency and must generally be registered as RVs for use in designated parks.8 As in most states in this series, the ADU and foundation-built path has a meaningfully clearer legal route than anything on wheels.
3. Real Communities Beyond Blue Moon Rising
Hope Village in Baltimore is a notable tiny home community, and additional projects are emerging in Anne Arundel County as that jurisdiction's cottage-cluster legislation develops.10 Costs at existing communities run roughly $300 to $800 monthly for lot rental, according to one source, separate from the cost of the tiny home itself.10
Research record: We verified SB891/HB1466's signing date, effective date, and October 1, 2026 compliance deadline directly against the bills' own record on the Maryland General Assembly's site. The Baltimore City detail came from an independent tracker citing the city's own legislative record for Council Bill 25-0066; we have not independently confirmed that bill's status beyond the February 2026 worksession reported there, since city council legislative tracking changes quickly this close to the deadline. Information last checked August 2026.
How to Verify Your Specific Situation
- Confirm your specific county's current status against the October 1, 2026 statewide ADU compliance deadline — if you're looking at Baltimore City specifically, its own compliant law was still in committee as of early 2026.
- If in Howard County, note the specific CB3-2026 effective date (April 8, 2026) for expanded ADU rules.
- For homes on wheels specifically, don't assume the new ADU Act changes anything — it applies to foundation-built secondary dwellings, not THOWs.
- Consider an established community like Blue Moon Rising if you want zoning handled collectively rather than negotiated on an individual parcel.
Considering an ADU route? See how it compares nationally.
Read the National ADU Placement GuideSources
- Howard County Government, "Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)."
- Howard County Government, "County Executive Ball Signs Housing Bill Expanding Opportunities for Smaller Homes."
- Zook Cabins, "Tiny Home Regulations In Maryland (2026 Guide)."
- Zook Cabins, "ADU Regulations In Maryland: The Complete Guide."
- Miller, Miller & Canby, "Small Houses are coming to Maryland via the Maryland Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) Act of 2025"; primary source: SB 891 (2025), Chapter 196, official bill page via the Maryland General Assembly.
- Great Lakes Tiny Home, "What Counties in Maryland Allow Tiny Houses."
- Elite Nest, "What Counties in Maryland Allow Tiny Houses."
- Tinyhousel, "What Counties in Maryland Allow Tiny Houses in 2025."
- Tinyhousel, Frederick County ADU detail.
- Tiny Home State, "Tiny House Communities in Maryland (Top Spots, Rules, Costs)."
- ADU Pilot, "Maryland SB 891: The Statewide ADU Law and the October 1, 2026 Deadline," citing Baltimore City Council Bill 25-0066 legislative record.
