OCMD Property Rights

05/09/2026

Congratulations to Jeff and Peter on winning the election!

05/09/2026

The proposed occupancy changes for townhomes and condos represent good policy and are actually more favorable than what has been in place for many years for condos and townhomes.

The main challenge lies with how accessory rooms (such as dens or game rooms) are treated.

In my opinion, it should not matter whether a room contains a regular bed or a sleeper sofa. As long as the room does not increase overall occupancy and meets established sleep safety requirements, it should be permitted.

The town should not regulate the specific type of furniture placed in these rooms, provided the setup is safe and complies with applicable sleep standards and doesn’t add to the overall occupancy count.

I do believe that there will be a real challenge for the people who legitimately purchased homes as 3 bedrooms but are now being told that they are 2. That has to be addressed.

Lastly, the R1/MH should just go back to the square footage calculation as well. It lacks common sense and confuses people who want to stay in a home versus a condo.

If this new proposal is applied fairly and accurately, all stakeholders will benefit.

Update: The chart is confusing but this ordinance is a win for STRs so it is important that people understand what the current code is versus what is being proposed.

04/16/2026

I’m excited to encourage every resident of Ocean City to vote for two truly inspiring leaders—Peter Buas and Jeff Heiser—in the May 8th Special Election.

These are individuals of exceptional character: smart, passionately dedicated, and grounded in integrity. They represent the very best of what our town needs right now.

Peter Buas brings proven experience and a deep, firsthand knowledge of how our town government is meant to work. His legal insight, combined with his ability to cut through the noise, examine the facts, and make clear, logical decisions, will serve our community powerfully. When we were at our most vulnerable, Peter stepped up and helped us launch the petition on short-term rentals—giving us the opportunity every voice in Ocean City a chance to be heard on a very important topic. His steadfast support during that difficult time earned my respect, which is why I proudly backed his candidacy from day one and continue to stand with him today.

When Jeff Heiser entered the race, I didn’t know him personally. But after researching his record and speaking with him directly, I came away genuinely inspired.

Jeff carries a natural, commanding leadership presence and a heartfelt commitment to protecting the brave men and women who keep us safe every day—our police officers and first responders.

Together, Peter and Jeff—each with their own unique background and strengths—will bring fresh balance, wisdom, and vision to the Council. I truly believe they will help guide Ocean City into a stronger, brighter, and more united future.

Let’s seize this moment and vote for the leadership our town deserves.

Vote Peter Buas and Jeff Heiser on May 8th!

04/09/2026

Ocean City’s upcoming special election has become a broader test of how town government functions during one of the busiest stretches of the year. After Councilman Larry Yates resigned due

03/24/2026

03/06/2026

Another success for protecting property rights this week! Thank you to the Worcester County Commissioners!

https://www.facebook.com/share/1L38PKhaZe/?mibextid=wwXIfrkr

(March 6, 2026) After giving homeowners bad guidance about parking rules for short-term rentals and then revoking their rental permits, Worcester County officials voted to change the law so those

02/28/2026

A Brief History of Worcester County Bill 26-01: Why It Matters and How You Can Help Get It Passed 📜⚖️

In August 2019, Worcester County, Maryland, introduced Bill 19-3, a zoning measure aimed at regulating short-term rentals (STRs) 🏠. While the bill contained many positive elements ✅, it initially failed on its first vote due to concerns over a new parking requirement: mandating a third off-street parking space for all STR structures regardless of size or date built🚗. However, recognizing the overall benefits of the broader bill, the bill passed two months later with an understanding that the parking requirements would be revisited 👍.

The key verbiage from Bill 19-3 stated: “One additional off-street parking space is required for all short-term rental structures built beyond the effective date of the bill.” This seemed reasonable at the time 🤝.

Entire planned communities, such as The Landings at Bayside and Sea Oaks Village, were developed under this understanding 🏘️.

Single-family homeowners assumed their two-car garages plus driveways equated to four parking spaces, satisfying the requirement 🚙. This assumption was validated by builders, homeowners’ associations (HOAs), and even the County itself during the review of site plans and approval of rental licenses 📋.

Similarly, condo and townhome owners in these communities, who had two-car garages and access to shared common-area parking, were assured by the same authorities that they met the standards and were granted rental licenses 🔑.

For years, the County established a clear precedent by approving these licenses without issue, fostering confidence among homeowners and builders 📈.

Unfortunately, as HOA boards shifted from developer-controlled to owner-managed, a vocal minority of residents opposed STRs in their neighborhoods 😠.

They pressured the County to enforce the third-parking-space rule, aiming to revoke property owners’ rental rights ❌.

In recent months, many homeowners have had their rental licenses abruptly revoked 😞.

Single-family homeowners were informed that their garages and driveways no longer counted as sufficient parking, while condo owners were told that common-area spaces must be exclusively designated to their units—something HOAs are unwilling to do 🚫. In communities like Sea Oaks, where spaces were previously assigned, boards could simply unassign them to force non-compliance 🙅‍♂️.

In essence, what the County has called an “administrative error” has led to a direct assault on homeowners’ property rights ⚔️.

These residents were sold on the idea and conducted thorough due diligence before purchasing, with the explicit understanding that they could rent their properties if desired 🧐. However, a new interpretation or application of the rule has homeowners scrambling.

Now, HOAs are exploiting this rule to try to effectively ban STRs, overriding years of established precedent set by prior boards and the County 😤.

Bill 26-01, if passed by the County Commissioners, aims to correct this injustice ✊. It honors the longstanding precedents set by the County, ensuring that homeowners in these communities—who bought their properties with the clear expectation of rental rights—can continue to exercise those rights 🛡️.

Importantly, it curbs unchecked HOA influence and safeguards fundamental property ownership principles 🏡. If HOA’s want a bylaw change then it requires 67% of their community to vote on it.

This bill is crucial because it protects hundreds of families from losing a key aspect of their property rights💰, promotes fair housing practices 🤝, and maintains responsible short-term rentals 📊.

Join the Fight: Your Support Can Make the Difference with the passage of this bill! 📢✊

⏰ Bill 26-01 is scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 10:35 AM in Room 1101 of the Worcester County Government Center, One West Market Street, Snow Hill, MD 🗓️.

02/18/2026

Ocean City Council members on Tuesday opted to repeal a prior resolution on short-term rentals rather than face a second referendumon the issue, a move that could effectively end more than a year of heated debate.
Petitioners who led a similar effort during the last vacation season had gathered enough signatures to trigger another referendum, giving council members the option to recall their own ordinance or have that done — again — by voters.

The debate has centered on two narrow zoning districts that make up about 3% of the resort’s roughly 9,000 rentals, with supporters of restrictions saying they’re needed to protect the sanctity of Ocean City’s few residential neighborhoods and opponents saying those restrictions erode property rights.
Last year, voters overturned a City Council ordinance governing the length of stay in short-term rentals. This time, petitioners sought to overturn Ordinance 2025-28, passed in December, which extended a moratorium on new short-term rental licenses in R-1 residential and MH mobile home districts through Jan. 3, 2027.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Board of Supervisors of Elections Chair Mary Adeline Bradford said petitions had to meet the 40% threshold of registered voters in the last election to trigger another referendum. There were 2,476 registered voters, so the target was 990 qualified signatures. On Feb. 11, the board reviewed 1,257 signatures submitted, invalidating 98 and certifying 1,159 — well above the needed threshold.
City Manager Terry McGean said once the petition is validated, the moratorium is stayed until an election occurs.
“At this point, the moratorium essentially would be lifted as of tonight,” he said.

City Council members voted 6-0 to accept the results of the petition, then Councilperson Carol Proctor moved to rescind Ordinance 2025-28.

“I do believe that the people have spoken three times,” Proctor said. “They went to referendum, they went to a special vote, they did another petition, and that has been confirmed.”
The vote to repeal the prior ordinance was unanimous, 6-0.
What this means for vacationers
The short-term rental issue has become hyper-local because of the narrow zoning districts, with months of debate regularly taking up several hours of each City Council meeting. Several City Council members repeatedly expressed exhaustion in continuing the discussion in those prior sessions.
Terry Miller, an Ocean City resident and realtor who led the referendum effort, said the debate has become a distraction for the town. In a prior Baltimore Sun interview, she made a plea to Baltimore residents.

“I think it is distracting,” she said. “Baltimore visitors have been our lifeblood — and we want you to come back. You are wanted. Don’t let this discourage you from coming because Ocean City still offers all the wonderful things that has made it your destination and your family tradition.
What happens next?

Robert Knauer, a resident who co-led the referendum effort, called for unity Tuesday night.
“I’d like to thank the residents for signing a petition and the support that we’ve had over this last petition and the last 18 months. Also, I’d like to thank the council for listening to the will of the people and putting the moratorium to bed,” he said. “I hope truly that we can put this behind us and that we can all work together to make the town great for everybody.”
Former Ocean City Mayor Jim Mathias Jr. said the point of the moratorium was to give city officials — including planning and zoning, police and public works — time to study “the impact of short-term rentals on neighborhoods.”
“And I’m not quite sure if that ever really happened,” he said. “I still think it leaves a question: What is the impact?
“I’m not going to sit here and suggest to you what the process should be, but I am going to say, with all due respect, whereas some people have found that rental opportunity and income to be very necessary for them to continue to own their home, other people have been able to invest in a home, and they want to make sure that they were able to enjoy that,” he added.
Mathias asked that a future City Council agenda address any lingering accountability issues for rental licenses.
However, Council President Matt James told The Sun the debate is likely done for now.
“I don’t expect it to come back for further discussion unless all of a sudden there’s some huge issues with the program,” James said. “I think the town’s going continue to focus on enforcement, and … I think with what we have on the books, we’ll be able to address almost all of the problems.”

Ocean City Council repealed its short-term rental moratorium after enough signatures were certified to trigger a second referendum vote.

02/18/2026

The Moratorium on rental licenses in R1/MH Communities is lifted. 1159 signatures were validated which achieved the 40% requirement for referendum.

Instead of bringing the moratorium to a referendum, the Council voted to repeal the ordinance completely.

The people of Ocean City have spoken!

Ocean City officials announced Tuesday evening that a petition seeking a referendum on the town’s short-term rental moratorium has gathered enough valid signatures to move forward.