PD Background & Recommendation Report (PL-CCI-2024-000003) Bill 121

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short-term vacation rentals, which was defined as a dwelling unit where the owner or operator does not live on the building site and is rented for a period of thirty consecutive days or less. In addition to establishing certain standards and guidelines for short-term vacation rental (STVR) operations, Bill 108 also identified the following: • Identified zoning districts and areas where existing and new STVR's could operate as a permitted use; • Included a registration process with filing fees and annual renewal standards for STVR's. • Provided standards for existing STVR's that were located outside of the permitted zoning districts to operate as long as the Planning Director issued a nonconforming use certificate; • Prohibited STVR's from being located in single-family dwellings within the State land use agricultural district on lots existing after June 4, 1976. • Created a registration process for all existing and new STVR owners to register with the Planning Department; • Created standards for the operation of an STVR; • Provided provisions for the loss of nonconforming STVR's when there is a declared emergency; • Established a short-term vacation rental enforcement account that is administered by the Planning Director; and • Required the Planning Director to receive and track complaints regarding STVR's. 4. In the years since the adoption of Ordinance 18 114, the Planning Department has been active in the administration of the standards and guidelines for STVR's, which have encountered some challenges. One of the main challenges is the lack of clarity on hosted vacation rentals and how "hosted" vacation rentals should be regulated. After recognizing that Bill 108 only regulated "un -hosted rentals", the County Council introduced Bill 121, which hopes to address hosted rentals and clarify the standards of operations to make them easier to follow. -2-