P.G. County Passes Strict Bill Regulating Short-Term Rentals

• October 24th 2018

by Nena Perry-Brown

While a short-term rental regulatory bill has stalled in DC, Prince George's County has passed a similar bill.

On Tuesday, the P.G. County Council advanced a bill which would define "short-term rentals" and add them to the zoning code, and a second bill which establishes how those rentals will be regulated. Although many have criticized the DC bill for being too stringent, the bills passed in Prince George's County may be moreso, despite the objections of many residents who already list their properties on sites like Airbnb.

The bills passed yesterday allow hosts of properties they own and occupy to offer a portion of their home as a short-term rental for up to 180 days annually. For units where the host is not present, short-term rentals cannot be for longer than 31 consecutive days, and cannot operate more than 90 days out of the year.

Notably, a host can only offer their permanent residence for short-term rental. Hosts must apply for a one-year short-term rental license with the Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement (DPIE) and can rent their unit out for up to 90 days while that application is pending.

As part of the application, hosts must self-certify that the accommodations meet various safety standards (e.g. contain a fire extinguisher and smoke detector, have emergency contact information and fire escape routes posted, etc.), as well as notify neighbors and any homeownership association or management company, where applicable, that the home will be listed as a short-term rental. Hosts must re-apply for short-term rental licenses annually.

Rental platforms and hosts would be required to remit annual reports to DPIE to ensure hosts are in compliance. Hosts will also be required to identify an emergency contact other than themselves for their guests.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/pg-county-passes-strict-bill-regulation-short-term-rentals/14609.