In Talbot County, short-term housing rentals are a hot topic, to say the least. Are they a boon for fueling a $300 million tourism economy, or a bust for compromising the charm and character of its small towns?
New regulations proposed by Councilmember Lynn Mielke aim to tighten rules on STRs, but opponents argue they’re the solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. With a critical Planning Commission meeting looming on July 2, residents and officials are divided, even amongst themselves.
The debate and proposed revisions
Since 2018, Talbot County’s Short Term Rental Review Board, the only one of its kind in Maryland, has overseen STRs with strict rules: owners must notify neighbors within 1,000 feet by certified letter, provide 24/7 contact information, and address complaints via a hotline.
Last year, 164 licenses were approved, up only slightly from 157 in 2018 after a temporary rise during the pandemic years. Yet Mielke, joined by Council Vice President Peter Lesher, introduced amendments in April to strengthen oversight, citing concerns about neighborhood integrity.
The proposals, publicly debated at a crowded May 7 public hearing and again at a June 24 work session, include:
- Extending the minimum stay for non-primary residences from three to seven days, potentially forcing weekend renters to pay for a full week;
- Requiring a working landline for emergency and complaint responses, despite their near-obsolescence;
- Dividing licenses into two categories, one for primary residences, and another for investment properties, and limiting density to one STR per 500 or 1,000 feet, depending on zoning; and
- Mandating owners log all visitors, including themselves, in rental properties.
The July 2 meeting promises to be a showdown, as dozens of property owners, residents, and business advocates are expected to weigh in.
Preserving neighborhoods or stifling tourism?
Mielke argues the changes protect Talbot’s small, historic neighborhoods. “We’re trying to preserve the integrity of residential areas, especially older ones,” she told The Spy. “The existing regulations aren’t working.”
Tilghman resident Leslie Steen, a retiree from Washington, D.C., agrees. “I love knowing my neighbors, talking over the fence, relying on them,” she said with a pinch of concern about living close to strangers. “Over the last few years, we have been losing our neighborhoods to short-termers. I have four within a thousand feet of my house.”
But is this fear grounded? Cindy Reichart, vice chair of the review board, says the data doesn’t jibe with claims of rampant STR growth. With only a tiny net increase over six years and just 10 unresolved complaints during the same period, she argues, “Folks are working together, and the current rules are effective.”
Opponents: Regulations already suffice to say the least
STR owners and business leaders call the proposals an overreach. Review board chairman Keith Watts, owner of two licensed STRs, dismisses worries about rowdy renters and unmitigated noise.
“We invest heavily in licenses, and the last thing we want is loud music or bad behavior,” Watts said. The fact that few complaints reach the board suggests neighbors and owners have had success to resolve any issues informally. In cooperation and sometimes competition with one another, owners work hard to provide the best possible experience for their guests.
The proposed visitor log requirement drew particular incredulity from owners. At the last meeting, STR owner Kevin Hartmann called it “excessive and intrusive,” questioning what possible benefit it might have. The landline mandate also puzzles critics, as an Easton Emergency Services dispatcher confirmed responders can locate calls from cell phones without issue.
Even Lesher, a co-sponsor of the bill, questions the seven-day minimum stay. “STRs are mostly a weekend business, which means 52 rentals a year at most,” he said. “This rule doesn’t do anything to minimize their impact.”
Lesher said he supports tighter oversight and called out the review board’s leniency, noting it approves nearly all applications, often dismissing “neighbor concerns.”
Still, opponents argue the existing system, with its notification letters, hotline, and rigorous code compliance, already strikes the proverbial balance between community concerns and tourism benefits.
Tourism’s big impact vs. local concerns
There is no question the county thrives on tourism, with the Waterfowl Festival alone drawing 20,000 visitors. The industry contributes an estimated $300 million in annual revenue to the county.
The availability of STRs plays a big role in boosting tourism, says Chamber of Commerce President Amy Kreiner. “They attract visitors who shop locally, dine out, and support small businesses,” she said. The Talbot Vacation Advocates agree, calling the proposals a real threat to the lodging industry and its economic benefits.
Yet some residents, many late-in-life arrivals themselves, yearn to preserve Talbot’s rural charm of their neighborhoods. Susie Hayward, Director of Government Affairs at the Mid Shore Board of Realtors, sees the regulations as a second attempt to discourage STRs after 2018’s rules failed to curb them.
“Homeowners have a right to rent, just as neighbors have a right to peace,” Hayward said. “But they don’t have the right to choose who lives next door.”
Where do we go from here?
The debate reflects a deeper, intractable tension: how do officials balance Talbot’s tourism-driven economy with its small-town character? Are STRs a genie let out of the bottle, or a natural part of a hospitality-friendly county?
Data suggesting minimal disruption hasn’t mitigated heartfelt fears of change. At the upcoming meeting, the Planning Commission must weigh these concerns against the economic benefits of STRs; it has its work cut out for it. Advocates on both sides of the issue will undoubtedly come out en masse to make their case as the Commission formulates its recommendations for the full Council.
It should be an interesting meeting on Wednesday morning.
Leslie Steen says
The overall impact of Short Term Rentals on our communities can be substantial. I moved to Tilghman to enjoy the beauty of the water and sky. I stayed because of the community.
Tilghman is a village of people who care about each other and the well being of the community. I would guess that we have more nonprofits and volunteers than any other part of the County. Three examples:
When it appeared that the County would shut down the school due to budgetary reasons, everyone rolled up their sleeves and saved it. It is the pride and joy of the community.
Some 15 years ago when our recently 98 year old neighbor lost his wife of almost 67 years, our neighborhood started rallying round and supporting him with daily visits and all types of support.
Community members created and run Healthy Tilghman, a community outreach program bringing resources and healthy activities, such as mental health resources and the 5K/1K run/walk to Tilghman.
Community like this doesn’t happen when the houses are owned by investors and rented to short term renters, the “ins and outs” as we call them in Tilghman. The ins and outs don’t have time to become neighbors. They don’t invest in relationships. Sure, their money pays to mow the lawn, paint the house, and plant the flowers, as does the money of the full-time residents. The in and outs may pay for seasonal jobs, but, unfortunately, the money of the ins and outs does not pay for a lot of year-round jobs.
Someone needs to prove the claim that STRs are an economic engine. They are unsupervised strangers in our neighborhoods.
When we lose permanent residents and replace them with ins and outs we lose a lot. We lose our volunteers, our voters, our neighborhood serving businesses. We lose the glue that holds us together. We become neighborhoods of strangers.
Homes rented by principal homeowners, as Easton allows, is OK. One well-behaved investor owned short-term rental (STR) is OK, but what happens next. There is a domino effect. Who wants to live next to a STR with constantly changing strangers next door, looking into your house. If one becomes a STR, the next one will as well until there is no community left.
The dominos have begun to fall. There are clusters within the County. The cracks in our neighborhood are happening. The in and outs are showing up. We need to keep our neighborhoods and communities.
Robert Haase says
I wish you would have mentioned that St. Michaels and Easton, both of which benefit the most from tourism do not allow Short Term Rentals in their Residential zones and Easton only does if its in the Principle Owners house. I wonder why they feel they need to protect their neighborhoods ?
Leslie Steen says
These regulations apply to Talbot County, not the incorporated jurisdictions such as St. Michaels, Easton and Oxford, which have more restrictive rules regarding the location of STRs. In St. Michaels STRs are permitted in the commercial areas only. In Easton only Principal homeowners are licensed. Investors are not permitted. I don’t recall Oxford’s or Trapp’s rules.
Monica Otte says
In response to residents’ concerns, Oxford banned outdoor fires and restricted on-street parking at STRs. Both Trappe and Oxford require STR applicants to have insurance coverage. Other vacation destinations, like Berlin MD, recently limited STRs in designated residential zones to owner-occupied homes. These tourist towns realize that it’s the residents who maintain the towns to make them attractive to tourists, and are protecting residential neighborhoods. Why can’t Talbot do the same?
DONNA Dudley says
Short term rentals change the “culture” of a neighborhood. We have an unwanted STR in our neighborhood and fought it to no avail, even though it is on a private road maintained by the neighbors and none of us wanted it here. We do not have an HOA, but even if we did, the County will not respectm or as they interpret it, “enforce” its own residents/voters’ HOA guidelines.. Poppycock. The County wants the $. Some of us have just given up fighting them. I will never again live in an area that permits short term rentals to be my neighbors. They add nothing positive to the neighborhood, but so glad (sarcastically) that the County can collect $ from them.
John J Mistretta says
Maybe STR’s a thousand feet away don’t really bother me but I have had a home in Newcomb for almost 40 years and where I live is a little different. I have nine houses within 300 feet of where I live and have had some experience with unlicensed short term rentals over the years. Strangers wandering in my gardens or walking across our waterfront as if we aren’t here. Putting all their trash in my receptacles and noise and partying late at night. I understand people want to have fun when they are away but not necessarily at my expense. It was mentioned that the small number of complaints show that STR renters and neighbors are working it out. That is exactly a big part of the problem. When things needed to be addressed I had to be the one addressing them with strangers. A dicey proposition in this day and age. Another person mentioned that you have no right to pick out who lives next to you. I might point out that a Short Term Renter doesn’t exactly live there. For the entire time I have owned my house the building across the lane had had four apartments that rent. These people come, get the lay of the land, and become neighbors and friends. Not so withSTR’s. Only strangers and locked doors. STR’s in the villages may make people money and fuel restaurants and businesses but I think that if it has to happen at the expense of the people who live in the villages and pay their taxes to live there it is a gross inequity.
Jan Bohn says
I have no dog in this fight. Is there any requirement for proof of adequate insurance for the property, liability, fire, etc.? Safety requirements seem adequate. To require rental of seven days does seem overkill. Our area is so close to metropolitan areas where people would come for a long weekend, three days seems appropriate. Excessive occupation is already forbidden. Hardly anyone has a landline – they may have a VOIP line, sort of a land line (I do) it’ll run on our generator but hardly a landline. I’m 75 and know no one who has a true landline. That does seem ridiculous. My 2 cents.
Charles Barranco says
Who wants a business for a neighbor? Do I live in fear every weekend that a Guest will enter my home in the middle of the night because they don’t know where they are? Will they be looking for a place to sleep or are they there for another purpose? Intoxication of weekend guests is no surprise. Do I defend my property? Do I defend the lives of the people in my home because a perfect stranger walks in and I don’t really know the purpose that they’re there?
It was pointed out in the SPY Article that there are very few instances of complaints. My question is how many were not reported and who is dealing with this. In the middle of the night, the real estate agent who is the contact is not the one dealing with it. It is the homeowner and that puts the homeowner in a precarious position. The possibilities are endless of harm to an unknowing homeowner when dealing with a drunk or belligerent person for whatever reason. The incident could be a life changing event.
Let’s not be confused about a home versus a business. STR‘s are a business. They’re not a primary residence in 99% of the cases. A significant number are owned by corporations/LLCs. As for the individuals owning STR‘s the only difference between them and an LLC is that they are not Incorporated. The purpose is the same. Every year that business is depreciated and expenditures written off. That classifies it as a business. The IRS allows an owner use of a rental property for 14 days. That is a requirement by the IRS.. so let’s stop with the dribble about an STR being a home. All expenses are written off every year, regardless of ownership. Therefore it’s a business and has no place in a residential neighborhood. The days of the corner store at the end of the block ceased long ago because people did not want a commercial enterprise in their neighborhoods. HOA‘s guaranteed that businesses would not be conducted in residential areas.
The Town of Saint Michael’s, Easton and Oxford do not allow STR’s even though they are the attraction for tourism. I wonder why? Could it be self preservation for the hotels, motels and other establishments? The answer is obvious.
Our neighborhoods are being harmed by commercialization that disrupts the real purpose of the community, which should be first and foremost in the minds of the county government.
Let’s not be Pennywise and Pound Foolish!
Christopher B Thomas says
Regardless of what the outcome of this is, the The Talbot County Short Term Rental Review Board should be given criteria to approve or reject an STR applicant. At the moment, they are all rubber stamped so long as they meet relatively loose criteria.
What’s the point of requiring a letter to be sent to neighboring properties if those properties have no voice? The review board should be able to deny an applicant if the community rejects it. The Bentley Hay area of St. Michaels is a good example; most neighbors do not want more STR conversions, and the area essentially operates like an extension of the residential portion of St. Michaels, but is governed by Talbot County. The past few applications have had lots of opposition, yet, keep getting approved because the board has no mechanism to reject the applications.
Robert Haase says
I agree completely, this week an appeal of a STR was denied by the Talbot County Board of Appeals. The appeal was filed by a large group of neighbors concerned about road safety on a very dangerous county road. The residents offered much information on the road condition but the STRB vote was to approve. There are other areas where concentrated STR’s have had neighbor opposition where there concerns were not considered relevant.
Steve Shimko says
I wish to comment on Cindy Reichart’s statement that short term rentals aren’t a problem because of the small number of unresolved complaints. She stated “the data doesn’t jibe with claims of rampant STR growth. With only a tiny net increase over six years and just 10 unresolved complaints during the same period.”
This statement glosses over and ignores the large number of complaints that are made to STR owners, their guests, or their local (supposed) property manager. There are no records kept of such complaints, so how many are made is somewhat of a guess. But when we had an STR next door to us for 5 years, we and our neighbor had compiled a ~10 page spreadsheet of problems and complaints we had with the business.
So the number of complaints about STRs is surely much greater than the handful of carefully chosen “unresolved” ones Ms. Reichart referenced.