OCMD Property Rights: Empowering Communities

Ocean City has always been a place for memories — where families return each summer,  local hosts welcome visitors, and community ties grow stronger. But now, a proposed ban  on short-term rentals in the areas that attract family vacationers to our town, R1 & MH,  threatens not just property rights, but also the long-term appeal of Ocean City as a family  vacation destination. 

Hosts in the R1 and MH neighborhoods of Ocean City are most often:

• Local families who use rentals to afford rising costs.  

• Heirs who rent their longstanding family homes, so they don’t have to sell them.

• Retirees who rely on hosting for supplemental income. 

• Future retirees who rent now with a plan to reside later. 

 These properties support many small businesses that thrive on tourism driven by family  vacation rentals. And they provide an incredibly unique vacation experience for guests who  return year after year to neighborhoods they love.

In short, a ban on short-term rentals in Ocean City won’t just hurt hosts. It will hurt Ocean City’s economy, it’s appeal to family vacationers, and it’s community spirit.  

And, yes, some people purchase homes in R1 and MH neighborhoods with the intent to rent them. Those homes are often the most beautiful and well-maintained properties on  the block.