🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Howard County, MD
Howard County New STR Penalties Target Pool Party Chaos — Raises Vacation Rental Fines to $2.5K+
A Deep Dive into Your Area’s STR Updates — Helping You Navigate the Ever-Changing Rental Landscape.
Howard County Says Enough—New STR Penalties Target Pool Party Chaos
Howard County is officially cracking down on unregulated short-term rentals—especially those turning into massive pool parties. In response to a surge of community complaints, the County Council unanimously approved emergency legislation raising fines from $250 to $2,500 for a first violation, and a stiff $5,000 for repeat offenses.
The measure comes after residents in areas like Columbia voiced serious concerns over short-term rentals being used for large-scale parties—some with over 100 guests. Reports included reckless driving, public intoxication, marijuana use, and even fights spilling into the street.
“These parties are more than just a nuisance—they’re a public safety threat,” said Councilman Opel Jones, who emphasized that the legislation was not about banning rental platforms like Swimply, but about protecting neighborhoods from disorderly gatherings.
STRisker Documents Dashboard
Finding the right compliance documents shouldn’t feel like searching for a needle in a haystack - STRisker’s Documents is built to simplify your life, offering instant access to hundreds of thousands of documents from thousands of cities across the US.
At a Wednesday morning public hearing, multiple residents described feeling unsafe in their own communities. “This is about protecting families,” said local parent Katie Evans, echoing the sentiments of many others.
But not all voices were critical. A number of residents spoke up to defend the use of private pools for smaller, community-focused uses—like private swimming lessons, disability therapy, and religious accommodations. “This isn’t just a party space,” said Sabera Husain. “This is how people find privacy, therapy, and joy.”
Even with those perspectives, the Council stood firm. The goal, they said, isn’t to shut down helpful rentals—it’s to deter abuse of the system that puts neighborhoods at risk.
Howard County now joins nearby jurisdictions like Montgomery County in raising the stakes for STR violations. And while this emergency bill focuses primarily on pool-related concerns, officials indicated that more comprehensive STR regulations could be revisited soon.
For residents currently offering short-term rentals, the message is clear: make sure your space is safe, quiet, and legal—or risk diving headfirst into some serious fines.
Stay Updated with STRisker
STRisker offers tools and features to keep you updated with the Short-Term Rental movement across the U.S.
👍 We’d love your feedback.
We're always looking for ways to improve Bulletins.
Was this one useful to you? Other topics you'd like to see get covered?
✉️ Just reply directly to this email. We read and respond to every message!
-Will McClure
🙋 P.S.
Know someone else who should be reading this Bulletin? Feel free to forward this along. We want to make sure operators and stakeholders are aware of regulatory changes in their area.