Ocean City rental moratorium sparks backlash, as residents say trust was broken

OCEAN CITY, MD. (WBFF) — After hours of passionate testimony, Ocean City officials on Monday confirmed a one-year moratorium on new short-term rental licenses in two residential districts, a decision that will impact roughly 331 properties – 3% of the town’s nearly 9,000 rentals.

The moratorium affects R-1 [residential] and MH [mobile home] neighborhoods, pausing new licenses while the town reviews proposed rules on occupancy limits, parking requirements and local agent management for rental properties. Most vacation rentals in Ocean City remain unaffected.

The decision reignited a long-running fight over property rights, neighborhood character and whether elected leaders are honoring the will of voters.

“Work on things that need fixing stop processing new rental restrictions,” Ocean City resident Terry Looney told the council.

Read the full story on the Baltimore Sun.