Annapolis City Council Imposes 10% Cap on Short-Term Rentals Per Block to Preserve Local Community
In a decisive move, the Annapolis City Council has voted to set a threshold for short-term rental properties, capping them at no more than 10% per city block. This decision, which was reported on by WMAR-2 News, follows expressions of concern from residents about the impact of short-term rentals on community dynamics and the substitution of transient visitors for long-term neighbors.
Driving the restriction is Ward 1 Alderman Harry Huntley, who shaped the ordinance after observing more than 30 blocks in his ward surpassing the newly established limit. In a statement obtained by WMAR-2 News, Huntley explained, "We needed that, because short term rentals can be part of our community, but they can't be all of our community, or we won't have a community." The enforcement of this limitation will be facilitated through a lottery system intended to reduce the number of rentals, prioritizing current license holders and landlords residing locally.
Residents have been vocal about the strains posed by the proliferation of short-term rentals, as reported by CBS News Baltimore. The numbers are telling; Annapolis has seen its short-term rental listings surge from 480 to approximately 560 over two years, with downtown feeling the brunt of this growth. "There are people who have moved out of the area because they lost their sense of neighborhood," Craig Harrison, an Annapolis resident, stated.
Despite these measures, the ordinance includes several exemptions, notably for owner-occupied short-term rentals and for specific high-demand periods such as the Naval Academy graduation or local boat shows.