Annapolis task force recommends banning rentals of stationary "house barges," urges code clarification

A city-appointed task force on Sept. 18 told the Annapolis City Council that the short-term rental (STR) use of stationary residential "house barges" should be prohibited and that the city should clarify its code and enforcement roles before allowing any rental use.

The task force, formed under a council resolution and led in presentation by chair Guy Caron and vice chair Rod, presented a detailed report and recommended changes after surveying stakeholders, reviewing city department input and cataloging marina capacity. "The general consensus was no rentals, period," Guy Caron said during the council work session.

The recommendation matters because members and city staff said house barges—defined by the task force as residential structures built on flotation devices and not designed or equipped for independent navigation—raise public-safety, sanitary and noise-enforcement questions distinct from those posed by charter boats, liveaboards or other recreational vessels.

Task force findings and rationale

The report distinguishes four vessel categories: houseboats (navally engineered, navigable dwellings), charter boats (recreational rental vessels regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard), liveaboards (people living aboard navigable recreational vessels) and house barges (floating residential structures that remain stationary in slips). The group said many of the problems raised by public comments and departments centered on short-term rental use of house barges, not on charter boats or liveaboards.

Task for…