UPDATED: Petition Requesting Referendum Vote on Short-term Rentals Submitted to Town of Ocean City
A petition with over 1300 signatures has been submitted to the Town of Ocean City for a referendum on the short term rental restrictions for the R-1 residential and M-H mobile home zoning districts. Now the city’s election board has to validate the signatures. According to the city’s ordinance 2025-04 on the petition process – the current ordinance limiting these neighborhoods to a 5-day minimum length of stay remains in effect – until an election is held. The Council can decide to hold a special election or wait until the next regularly scheduled election. If the petition is valid – and the Council does not – or can not hold an election within 60 days of April 21st – then the Town cannot enforce the ordinance beginning on the 61st day, which is June 21st, until an election is held.
UPDATED – 04/28/25 – On Monday, Mayor Rick Meehan told the Talk of Delmarva’s Mike Bradley that the Board of Elections is scheduled to have an administrative meeting in early May and may use that time for validating the signatures on the petition. He also added that the City has never discussed extending the short term rental ordinance to any other areas in town. The R-1 and M-H zoning districts are about 3% to 4% of the overall rental properties in Ocean City – there are still well over 9000 rental properties available without the short term rental restriction.