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Annapolis council adopts 12‑month moratorium on new short‑term rental licenses on first reading
Summary
On Dec. 8, the Annapolis City Council adopted, on first reading, a resolution imposing a 12‑month moratorium on new short‑term rental licenses. Sponsors said current licensees and owner‑occupied units may renew; the moratorium was referred for committee review and a public hearing.
The Annapolis City Council voted on Dec. 8 to adopt on first reading a resolution that places a 12‑month moratorium on the issuance of new short‑term rental (STR) licenses in the city.
Alderman Karma O'Neil, sponsor of the moratorium resolution, told the council that the measure is intended to provide time for study and that existing licensees and owner‑occupied STRs would be able to renew during the moratorium. "Current licensees would have the opportunity to renew under the moratorium," O'Neil said, adding that the pause would allow staff and council committees to examine enforcement, zoning and neighborhood impacts.
The measure follows recent action by the previous council to adopt a 10% density cap on STRs and a last‑minute amendment that removed grandfathering protections for some licensees. Several speakers during public comment — including long‑time operators and managers — urged the council to give the recently passed ordinance time to take effect before layering on additional restrictions. Megan Moore, a longtime local STR operator, said, "I'm simply asking that responsible operators be included in future discussions," and Sean Degnan, a local STR manager, called a moratorium "premature, reactive and unfair" to homeowners who follow the rules.
Supporters of the moratorium argued it responds to widespread constituent concern about the number of STRs in some neighborhoods and would create space for data gathering. Alderman Thorpe urged the council to use a "safety‑stand down" approach and develop data to inform policy, saying the pause would help the city "make logical, informed decisions based on fact."
City staff and the city attorney confirmed the resolution would be referred to the Economic Matters committee for review; the council also directed that the matter go to public hearing. The resolution passed on first reading; the transcript does not record a roll‑call tally for this voice vote in full and committee review and public hearing dates were left to be scheduled.
Next steps: the resolution will proceed through committee consideration and a public hearing before returning to the full council for final action. The council noted some flexibility to provide additional time for committees if needed during the statutory review period.
