🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Talbot County, MD
New Bill Sets Stage for Heated Public Hearing on November 25
Drawing the Line: Talbot County’s Latest Move to Rein in Short-Term Rentals
After half a year of back-and-forth, Talbot County officials are making their next move in the short-term rental saga. The County Council introduced a new bill this week designed to bring more oversight to local vacation rentals, from cozy cottages to waterfront estates listed on Airbnb or Vrbo.
The proposal, sponsored by Council Vice President Pete Lesher and Councilmember Lynn Mielke, has been in the works since spring. Mielke says the regulations are meant to curb an “overgrowth” of rentals in the county’s unincorporated areas, where there’s little consistency or enforcement compared to towns like Easton and Oxford, which already have their own rules.
The latest version of the bill—pared down after months of revisions—would create two classes of STR licenses and require all operators to apply through the county’s Short-Term Rental Review Board. But some of the original restrictions didn’t survive the process. County Attorney Patrick Thomas confirmed that three hot-button items were cut: ✔ seven-night minimum stay rule, ✔ mandatory landlines, and ✔ detailed stay log requirement for license renewals.
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What remains could still shake up the market. Under the proposal, rentals that aren’t a primary residence could be capped at one license per 500 or 1,000 feet depending on zoning. Critics call it overreach and warn that it could deter tourism and property investment. Supporters, however, argue that spacing rules help preserve community character and keep year-round residents from being priced out.
The council will hold a public hearing on November 25, and the debate is expected to be lively. Whether the council sticks with the trimmed-down version or amends it to bring back stricter measures, one thing’s certain: Talbot County is inching closer to defining how far hosts can go in turning homes into short-term getaways.
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