City officials are moving forward with an ordinance that sets a minimum length of stay for short-term rentals located in single-family and mobile home communities.
During Monday’s meeting, the Ocean City Council voted to approve the first reading of an ordinance that will establish a five-night minimum length of stay for short-term rentals in the R-1 residential and MH mobile home districts. The decision followed a three-plus-hour discussion during which more than 30 rental owners and residents came before the council to express both opposition to and support for the proposed restriction.
“Short-term rentals are actually contradictory to what our comprehensive plan lays out. That’s what we’re here to talk about,” Mayor Rick Meehan said at the conclusion of public comments. “We’ve seen it coming for a while. And I think after this last election, we all heard from the public as to what their real concerns were, and in a timely manner I think the council has brought it to where we are today. We’re not looking to find ways to create more turnover in the R-1 neighborhoods. We’re looking for ways to limit … the amount of turnover in the R-1 neighborhoods, which in the long run will make them even stronger.”
During last week’s work session, the council agreed to move forward with a moratorium on the issuance of any new short-term rental licenses in the R-1 and MH districts and to set a five-night minimum length of stay for any existing rentals, beginning this season. That restriction, however, was largely opposed by several rental owners who came before the council this week.
Many said the restriction was unreasonable, as most of their guests stayed for less than five nights, particularly in the offseason.
“For us personally, we only rent for seven days in the summer,” rental owner Helene Fox said. “But in the offseason, five, it’s not an opportunity for our guests to come in the offseason for holidays, especially with the return to office.”
So exactly how does this new ordinance help the town, its residents, the renters, or the rentees ? It doesn’t.
What it does, is deny the normal working class people a few nights to enjoy ocean city. You know, the people that can’t afford to take a whole week off and spend $ 3000 on overpriced food and entertainment. I guess if you’re not wealthy they don’t need or want you in town.