Short-term rentals like Airbnb and Vacation Rentals by Owner (VBRO) continue to grow in popularity typically due to their affordability and convenience. Currently, these 30 day or less rentals are illegal in Montgomery County unless they are licensed as a hotel or Bed & Breakfast; however, this prohibition is weakly enforced and there are hundreds of Montgomery County listings on sites like Airbnb. Though the county doesn’t allow it, it still collects the local hotel/motel tax on rentals. The Montgomery County Planning Board has put together a proposed zoning text amendment (ZTA) that would regulate any short-term rental activity in Montgomery County.

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Silver Spring Airbnb Listings

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Takoma Park Airbnb Listings

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Just in Silver Spring and Takoma Park alone, you can see numerous short-term rentals.

Montgomery County follows Arlington County as the latest jurisdiction in the area attempting to put together proposed regulations, which states:

“…that a property can be used as a short-term residential rental for a maximum of 90 days in a calendar year and the use must be licensed. Each license would be issued for a term of one year and renewable for additional one-year terms, subject to payment of a license fee.

Occupancy in a short-term residential rental is limited to six adult guests per night. A maximum of two overnight guests may stay in each bedroom. A record of all overnight visitors must be maintained and ready for inspection by Health and Human Services (HHS) staff.” viamontgomeryplanning.org

A similar debate is now underway in the District as well.

The Montgomery Planning Board will meet to discuss the new short-term rental rules on May 11th.

For more information and coverage, visit montgomeryplanning.org