The County Council will consider recommendations for regulating short-term rentals. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.
Owners who rent out their homes on a short-term basis through services such as Airbnb, HomeAway and similar companies would face regulation under terms of a recommendation for a zoning text amendment from the Montgomery County Planning Department.
The County Council introduced ZTA 16-03 in February of last year that would allow short-term residential rentals under certain parameters. Following a public hearing, the council asked the Planning Department to gather public input about this issue. Staff also studied regulations adopted by other jurisdictions, according to a department press release.
The Planning Board’s transmittal letter and draft ZTA are available for public review. The recommendations were summarized in the press release and include:
- “The short-term rental use of a residential property should be regulated separately from a bed and breakfast use;
- The property owner or tenant who hosts the short-term stay must be the primary resident of the house;
- Short-term residential occupancy of a dwelling or a room should be restricted to a maximum of 90 days in a calendar year only if the host will not be present during the rental period;
- A limit on the maximum number of days is unnecessary when the host remains in the home during the short-term residential rental stay;
- All short-term rentals will be monitored and licensed by Montgomery County;
- To make it easier for the public to contact a county official should problems arise, the Planning Board suggests one agency should oversee all residential rentals; and
- The host’s short-term residential rental license will be suspended if at least three verified complaints against that host are received within a calendar year.”
The council received the recommendations May 17, and the Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee intends to consider ZTA 16-03 later this year.