At recent public hearings, it was stated that most of the short-term rentals (STRs) in Talbot County are not businesses. I would like to share my observations with you. Within a half mile of our home, there are 6 STRs that we know of. Of these, 3 are owned by people who live outside of Maryland and own multiple STRs. The remaining 3 are owned by people who live in Talbot County but do not reside on the property. In other words, six out of six STRs in a very short distance are all businesses and not primary residences of the owners.
Given this situation of 6 businesses in a residential community, we respectfully request that the Talbot County Council members pass Mr. Bartlett’s amendment requiring that an STR be the primary residence of the owner. This would be in keeping with regulations enacted in Easton, Annapolis, Charleston and so many other communities across the U.S.
Secondly, it has been argued that STRs increase tourism income for the county. I question that. Living across the creek from an STR, I can assure you that the vast majority of occupants are outside all day, every sunny day, and they cook and eat just about every dinner outside on the property. Other properties boast in their ads of outdoor kitchens, fire pits set up for cooking, and other facilities to promote cooking and eating on site. In short, STR renters are NOT patronizing our restaurants or stores and they most certainly are not volunteering their time to promote the community events that attract tourists to our area. More importantly, unlike primary residences, these homes are for the most part vacant from mid-September to mid-May leaving no one to use our restaurants, stores and other businesses during those months. How is that good for our economy?
As STRs multiply across Talbot County, the adverse effects on our businesses and communities can only increase. Passing Mr. Bartlett’s amendment would, in short, benefit the residents and their neighborhoods as well as the businesses of Talbot County. I implore the Council to keep that in mind when they vote.
Judy Shepard
Royal Oak
Brad Hopkins says
Leave the real, year-round homeowners to decide whether to rent their homes for commercial gain; whether it’s for a night or a season. Subjecting homeowners to any form of licensure or regulation is a bad idea and one which will surely please the hoteliers while putting Talbot County further behind the times. Young, urban professionals who might like a weekend-away, want “airBnbStr”; not Hampton Inn. Let them have it. With no strings attached. Encourage them to come to Talbot County often and spend lots of their money. Maybe they’ll move here, buy property, start families and demand better schools, traffic engineering, broadband, smart-growth and better, pro-business, local government.
On the flip side, let’s all agree that encouraging non-resident, absentee property-owners and other commercial interests to buy a place and turn it into a “str-hotel” is a very bad idea and one which should come with a lot of licensure and regulatory requirements. If we allow this at all, we should be putting lots and lots of their dollars in our local coffers. Make it hurt, so as to discourage it.
Str-derivatives are a horse that’s out of the barn and across the meadow. Trying to contain it for true homeowners is little more than the same, tired old anti-growth, anti-Jeffersonian, “I got mine, sucks to be you” protectionism. It’s little more than identity politics masquerading as a safety and neighborhood/community protection piece. Talbot County could better spend it’s precious dollars on attracting sexy, information-age industry that brings career-salaries and benefits. Not big-box retailers and lousy corporate eateries.
Mike Huffstetler says
Like yesterday’s absurd letter to the editor regarding STR’s, I totally and completely disagree with your absurd comments about STR’s. I repeat: Bed & Breakfast STR’s are far closer to being commercial businesses than single family residences that are rented out on a year round basis, not to mention the fact that most people visiting a new area want to have their privacy, just like you and me. Also, to the extent that short term tenants are cooking outside, where do you thin they are purchasing that food? Do you think they are driving back home for that? II live full time in Talbot County and have a separate house in Talbot County that is only 10 minutes away and that I rent out year round, bringing new people and money into the area on a year round basis. I know that all of my tenants spend a significant amount of money while visiting Talbot County. And, they may not be promoting the events that attract tourism, just attending those events. Where do you propose that all the people reside who want to attend those events – in new hotels all over the County? The current STR licensing requirements require that there be a person within the County who can take care of the rental property and/or complaints related thereto. I do not run a commercial business. I have had zero complaints from neighbors. I pay the County and the State 10% of my income in rental taxes. How do you propose to make up for all of the lost rental tax and dining, recreational and other revenue that the County will lose by a proposal that will dramatically reduce revenue to the County. Let’s stop the NIMBY nonsense that has run this County for far too long, and let real property owners, not their neighbors, decide what is the best use of their property!