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Commissioners refine proposed short-term rental penalties; plan to introduce ordinance with reduced agency bar
Summary
During a work session on short-term rental rules, commissioners debated proposed bans on property owners and agents who advertise or rent without a license. After public input and a realtor letter, they agreed to introduce the ordinance at the next meeting with the agency-level bar reduced from three years to one year.
Commissioners held a work session on proposed amendments to the short-term rental ordinance that would bar property owners or agents who advertise or rent in violation. Staff explained the draft language would bar an owner who advertises without a license from holding a license for one year and initially proposed a three-year bar for agents and agencies; the language also expands the definition of "property owner" for enforcement purposes to immediate family and related trusts to prevent workaround transfers.
A letter from the Midshore Board of Realtors’ government affairs specialist (summarized in the packet) raised concerns about the punitive reach of a three-year agency bar. Commissioners debated whether agency-wide penalties for a single agent's violation are appropriate. Commissioner (Speaker 1) proposed limiting the agency bar to one year to preserve a training and corrective path while keeping enforcement teeth. The commission agreed to introduce the revised ordinance at the next meeting with that change and to hold public hearings during the adoption process.
