OCEAN CITY, Md. - The Ocean City council will hold a first reading tonight at 6 p.m. on a proposal to extend the town’s moratorium on new short-term rental licenses in residential and mobile home areas for another year.
If approved, the extension would move the current expiration date from Jan. 3, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027. The moratorium, first enacted in February 2025, temporarily halted the issuance of new short-term rental licenses while officials reviewed how these properties affect surrounding neighborhoods.
For residents like Mark Wenzlaff, who has lived in the Mallard Island community for 12 years, the issue hits close to home. “We saw parties going on late into the night. When they showed up with a karaoke machine and amplified it, I decided enough’s enough,” Wenzlaff said.
According to Wenzlaff, renters occupied the home next door throughout the summer, prompting him to call police three times over noise complaints. “Short-term rentals just bring group after group of partiers,” he said. Wenzlaff and his wife spoke at last week’s council meeting in favor of extending the moratorium until what he called “proper rental restrictions” are in place. “This problem should have never existed,” he added.
But Tammy Johnson sees the issue differently. She views short-term rentals as a crucial source of income for homeowners who rely on tourism. “If they’re not allowed to continue on with short-term rentals, they may lose their home,” Johnson said. “I must keep the short-term rentals alive in order to keep what I have.”
Supporters of the moratorium argue it helps preserve the character of residential neighborhoods, while opponents say it unfairly limits property rights and threatens the town’s tourism economy.
If tonight’s first reading passes, the proposal will move to a second reading for final approval. If adopted, the extended moratorium will remain in effect through early 2027 as the town continues weighing long-term regulations for short-term rentals. Council members are also expected to revisit the idea of minimum stay requirements at a future meeting.