Property rentals in Rockville, Gaithersburg and Montgomery County

Lease your home with a clear plan, fair and consistent screening, and experienced local support from start to finish.

Real Estate Search and Sale, LLC helps homeowners and landlords with Property rentals throughout Rockville, Gaithersburg and the rest of Montgomery County. Owners often find us when they search for “rent out my house in Rockville,” “property management Montgomery County MD” or “how to lease my home in Gaithersburg.” Whether you are moving for work, keeping a home you love, or adding a rental to what you own, we walk you through each step, from setting a rent range to handing over the keys and caring for the home while it is leased.

Carolyn Thompson, Broker, brings more than 20 years of experience. Her credentials for this work: Certified Residential Specialist (CRS).

Call Our 24-Hour Desk: 202-630-5070

Property rentals: How We Help Montgomery County Landlords

Renting out a home is a business arrangement with real legal requirements, and Montgomery County has more of them than many owners expect. Our approach is to put every requirement on one calendar, handle the leasing work, and keep you informed in plain language.

A suggested rent range based on recent rents for the homes closest to yours in location, style, size, age and condition
A checklist for licensing, inspections and safety items before the home is advertised
Professional photos and listing descriptions that describe the property, not the tenant you hope to find
Showings scheduled around your timeline and the current occupant, if any
Written screening criteria applied the same way to every applicant
Lease preparation, move-in inspection, deposit handling and key exchange
Ongoing property management for leased homes, if you choose it

Our property management covers homes that are leased or being prepared for lease. We do not offer vacant-property management for homes that will sit empty.

Step by Step: Leasing Your Home

Step 1: Consultation and rent range

We visit the home, talk about your timing and goals, and prepare a suggested rent range. You set the rent. We also explain how Montgomery County rent stabilization rules may affect future increases for your property, and we encourage you to confirm the details with the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA).

Step 2: Licensing and compliance

Montgomery County requires a rental license from DHCA before a home is leased. Some cities within the county run their own programs, so we help you confirm which office applies to your address. Homes built before 1978 may also need registration and lead-risk-reduction steps with the Maryland Department of the Environment before a tenant moves in. Confirm current rules with each agency.

Step 3: Preparing the home

We walk the home with you and list the items tenants and inspectors notice: working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, secure locks, functioning appliances, clean systems and a fresh, neutral presentation. You decide what to do and who does it.

Step 4: Marketing the rental

Listings describe the property and its location features, such as distance to the Rockville Metro station, Pike & Rose or the Kentlands, and never the type of person who should live there.

Step 5: Applications and screening

Every applicant receives the same written criteria and the same process. We verify the information applicants provide and present complete applications to you for a decision.

Step 6: Lease signing and move-in

We prepare the lease, document the home's condition with photos at move-in, collect funds as the lease requires and exchange keys.

Step 7: During the lease

If you choose property management, we handle rent collection, maintenance requests, periodic inspections, license renewals and lease renewals, and we send you regular updates.

Fair-Housing-Compliant Tenant Screening

Fair housing is the foundation of how we lease homes. The federal Fair Housing Act protects people based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status and disability. Maryland and Montgomery County laws add more protected classes, including source of income, which includes housing vouchers. In practice, that means:

Written screening criteria, set in advance and applied to every applicant the same way
Applications reviewed in the order they are received
No questions or advertising that steer or discourage anyone
Thoughtful responses to requests for reasonable accommodations and modifications for people with disabilities
Records kept for every application

If you have a legal question about screening, your attorney is the right person to answer it.

Security Deposits, Leases and Landlord Responsibilities

Maryland law has specific rules for security deposits, including limits on the amount, receipts, the move-in condition report and the timeline for returning deposits. Montgomery County adds its own lease requirements and publishes resources for landlords and tenants through DHCA. We follow these processes on every lease we prepare. For legal interpretation of a lease term or a dispute, please consult a real estate attorney.

Rentals in Frederick County and Beyond

We also lease homes in Frederick, Urbana and Ballenger Creek, where rental homes near Carroll Creek Park and the I-270 and MARC Brunswick Line commute are popular with renters. Through our Blacksburg office, we serve owners in Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Radford. Rules differ in each county and city, so we confirm the local requirements for every property.

Leasing While You Live Somewhere Else

Many of our landlords are relocating for a new job or military orders, and some live overseas. We can manage the leasing process while you are away, keep you updated by phone, email or video, and, if you decide to sell later, handle a remote closing. Most of our business comes from referrals, and many of those referrals come from owners who leased with us first.

Communities We Serve

These are a sampling of the many communities Real Estate Search and Sale, LLC serves.

Rockville, MD: Rockville Town Square and Pike & Rose
Gaithersburg, MD: the Kentlands and Downtown Crown
Germantown, MD: Germantown Town Center and Seneca Creek State Park
Silver Spring, MD: Downtown Silver Spring and Sligo Creek Park
Bethesda, MD: Bethesda Row and the Capital Crescent Trail
Frederick, MD: Carroll Creek Park and the historic downtown

This is only a sampling; we serve many more communities throughout Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia and Florida.

Outside our service area? We can refer you to a local real estate professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Property rentals from Real Estate Search and Sale, LLC work for owners?
We market the home, screen applicants with a consistent written process that follows fair housing law, prepare the lease, and help owners understand Montgomery County's rental licensing requirements. Owners can add ongoing Property management or handle the tenancy themselves. Please confirm legal questions with a landlord-tenant attorney.

Do I need a license to rent out my house in Montgomery County?
Montgomery County requires a rental license from the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) before a home is leased, and some cities in the county have their own programs. Confirm current requirements directly with the agency for your address.

How much rent can I charge for my home in Rockville?
We prepare a suggested rent range based on recent rents for the homes closest to yours in location, style, size, age and condition. You set the rent, and Montgomery County rent stabilization rules may affect future increases.

How do you screen tenants fairly?
We use written criteria set in advance and apply them the same way to every applicant, following federal, Maryland and Montgomery County fair housing laws, including protection for source of income.

Can I rent my home if I am moving out of state?
Yes. Many of our landlords are relocating, and we can manage the leasing process and ongoing property management while you are away.

Do you manage vacant homes?
Our property management covers homes that are leased or being prepared for lease. We do not offer vacant-property management for homes that will sit empty.

Does my rental need a lead inspection in Maryland?
Homes built before 1978 may need registration and lead-risk-reduction steps with the Maryland Department of the Environment before a tenant moves in. Confirm the current requirements directly with the department.

Can I get references?
Yes. We provide a list of client and professional references on request.

Related Services

Call Our 24-Hour Desk: 202-630-5070

Request a Confidential Consultation

Help Locating Independent Service Providers

Landlords often look for lead inspectors, home inspectors, handymen, painters, cleaners, HVAC and plumbing contractors, locksmiths, property insurance agents and real estate attorneys. We can provide contact information for independent service providers, and you are free to use any provider you like. Providers should be properly licensed and insured. When you schedule your providers, we help coordinate the logistics around showings, access and settlement.

Real Estate Search and Sale, LLC does not endorse, guarantee or receive compensation from any service provider. Please interview and verify any provider you choose.

References Available on Request

We will gladly provide a list of client and professional references on request.

Talk With Us Confidentially

Call our 24-Hour Appointment Desk at 202-630-5070, any time, day or night.

Carolyn Thompson, Broker
CRS · ABR · SRES · SFR · CDPE · MRP · CDS
Real Estate Search and Sale, LLC
1300 Piccard Drive, Suite 204, Rockville, MD 20850
800 Park Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060
24-Hour Appointment Desk: 202-630-5070 · Open 24 hours
Licensed in MD • DC • VA • WV • FL · Equal Housing Opportunity