On February 11, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic Butchko testified before the Environment and Transportation Committee in opposition to HB 705 – Real Property – Short-Term Rentals.
This bill preempts a county from prohibiting renters from posting a unit on AirBnB or other short-term rental platforms.
Short-term rentals have been shown to affect the affordability of housing markets, the extent of which is largely dependent on their concentration in the market. Several services have been developed, including AirDNA and others, which aim to help investors target affordable housing units for conversion into short-term rental vehicles, compounding the housing shortage and further driving up costs for Marylanders.
Affordable housing is a top priority for counties, who have supported a historic number of policies aimed at solving Maryland’s affordable housing challenges. This effort to wisely target housing supply and availability is meaningful for local officials and the communities they serve. If enacted, HB 705 could effectively undermine the progress the state has made in addressing this crisis.
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