While the lodging industry is waiting for the resurrection of legislation regulating online short-term rentals, Ocean City officials are keeping an eye on listings.
To operate a short-term rental through an online company, such as Airbnb, FlipKey, VRBO and OneFineStay, Ocean City property owners are required to get a business license. That way, city government staff can ensure that the resort is getting its cut of room tax.
Realtors also provide paperwork for the license when they close a deal in the resort, should the owner wants to rent the property. As for those properties that are unregistered, License Inspector Mike Sherman is searching the websites to find them.
It’s a tedious task, as Airbnb has roughly 300 listings in Ocean City alone. Complicating matters is the need to weed out legitimate businesses from those trying to fly under the radar.
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The governments are too involved in our lives - so much so that they keep people frombeing able to get an inch ahead.
ReplyDeleteYou voted for this crap!
OC really has become a ripoff. It is ripping off not only the tourist, but also the condo owners, its citizens, and virtually everyone else that resides in OC.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I have had enough of this over priced resort. I encourage all readers to stay the heck out of OC if you know what's good for you.
Watching from North across the border, I'm glad that I have never invested in OC. Those that have are stuck for a time before they can escape.
ReplyDeleteThank you Maryland politicians!
Gotta get every tax nickel they can to pay for OFailey's ignorance. Hogan is lowering the bills, though, keep him going. Term 2 will please you, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteCondo owners also pay a room tax.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAlways 'open season' on the golden goose in OC.
These "leaders" will stop at nothing to squeeze every penny they can from every person in every situation.
ReplyDeleteThey "may not get their cut"?? Are they politicians or Mafia Bosses?
Rent a room in your house and there are government agents watching you to make sure their "cut" is properly accounted for???
We should be hanging these leeches.
Instead, you DEBATE the varying degrees of their growing arrogant authority and gross overreaching of what they firmly believe is their absolute right to tell everyone else how to live. But ESPESCIALLY how much they will have to pay to accomplish that lofty goal.
That's ALL THEY DO ---- look for something ---anything -- that hasn't been taxed or fined yet. Or not taxed enough yet.
You can't stop cheering --- you think "your guy" is the ONLY one with any integrity. Looking out for you, and all that. LOL.
NONE of them have an ounce of that. Lots of greed. Lots of back room, behind the scenes lying and cheating. Lots of self important ego trips.
But honesty and integrity? A desire to serve the country?
Don't kid yourself.
They would stomp your baby to death iof anyone said they would give them a big donantion to see that.
Keep cheering.