On February 25, Director of Intergovernmental Relations Dominic Butchko submitted a letter of information to the Economic Matters Committee on HB 993 – Real Property – Short-Term Rentals.
MACo submits this Letter of Information on legislation clarifying that tenants may offer a leased property as a short-term rental, while reaffirming local authority to regulate these uses and prevent abusive practices such as “AirBnB arbitrage.”
As counties and the General Assembly continue advancing major housing initiatives—including MACo’s 2026 legislative initiative bill, the Building Affordably in My Back Yard (BAMBY) Act,—maintaining the integrity of the long-term rental market remains essential. The revised measure reflects productive collaboration, offering clearer guardrails that allow limited tenant participation in the short-term rental economy while preserving local land use authority and protecting the supply of attainable housing.
From MACo Testimony:
When first introduced in 2025, counties raised concerns that the bill could
inadvertently enable “AirBnB arbitrage,” where individuals lease units—often in high-demand areas—and then re-rent those units for profit across multiple short-term rental platforms. A growing ecosystem of services now exists to help investors identify and target units for conversion into short-term rental operations, which can further constrain the long-term rental market and place additional pressure on affordability.
HB 993’s cross-file, SB 666, was also heard on February 25 in the Judicial Proceedings Committee. Dominic Butchko also submitted a letter of information on this bill.
More on MACo’s Advocacy:
