Ocean City writes $21K in fines for unlicensed rentals this year

The stricter policies and harsher fines attached to unlicensed rentals and overcrowded units seem to be having some effect, but the Ocean City Council is aiming for total compliance — and is considering what the next step is to get there.

During the Nov. 1 work Session, Planning and Zoning Director Bill Neville reported that several of the regulatory tools the City Council created this year, such as a new rental application for R-1 (single-family residential) properties, stricter enforcement of the maximum occupancy standard of 40 square feet per occupant in a bedroom with a closet credit, and a fine system, had resulted in improved compliance.

That’s in great part to the outreach that was done earlier in the year with the seminar and meeting with some of the property owners early on, he said.

“Because we also made a big presentation about maximum occupancy, we had a lot of requests from older structures to conduct complimentary inspections,” Neville told the council.

More