City licensing requirements in a Historic District (Annapolis)?

Susan1392
Level 2
Annapolis, MD

City licensing requirements in a Historic District (Annapolis)?

Hello, all! As I prep my home for Commissioning Week in Annapolis, I think I am saying goodbye to Airbnb. I have already de-listed my property for all future rentals.

 

In June, the City Council of Annapolis is putting forward a piece of legislation that will most likely shut down people like me, permanent year-round residents of Annapolis, who want to share their homes via AirBnB or other short-term rental platforms. There are many facets to this legislation that will restrict many aspects of short-term rentals, but for me, the aspect that will shut me down is that all rooms or homes offered for rent must be licensed.

 

Just get a license, the legislators cheer! Just level the playing field, licensed property owners cheer!

 

But I own a fix-upper in the Historic District, and despite having survived a renovation where every nut and bolt was inspected by the City of Annapolis, my home would require an extra $20,000 in sprucing to qualify for a license. I ask those that live in older Historic homes, would your home pass a white glove test? Do you, in your own home, comply with all of the extra so-called safety regulations above and beyond what is required by the city for occupancy? Do you have any paint chips around the historic glass in your windows? What about on your siding and porch? What about (drumroll of doom please) your basement and attic? Are those historic steps in your home to code?

 

I am an AirBnB superhost with an almost 100% 5-star rating, and my home is where I live year round. Isn’t my home, which is reviewed publically every time I have a guest, safer then the homes left alone when their owners winter for months in the British Virgin Islands?

 

Is there any way that we, as a community of superhosts, who deeply value the entire structure of the sharing economy, can band together and fight off owner-occupied house-share licensing requirements? The room I offer on Airbnb is the room where my mother sleeps when she comes to visit. How is it possible that this room will have to stay vacant when there are so many travelers who want to visit Annapolis, and don't want to have to pay the exhorbitant hotel rates? How is it fair to force a 5-star resource off the market?

 

Help us, Airbnb! Help us, other superhosts in other Historic Districts! Airbnb wants to take the company public soon, and how can they do this if their superhost base is dropping like flies due to draconian local regulations put in place by peole that "don't want to change the character of their neighborhood"?

 

I am someone who lives on an extremly tight budget and bikes to work every day. Last year I took in a happy $5000 via AirBnB, and that pretty much represents my disretionary income. With Airbnb, it would take me 2-3 years to save up the shiny copper pennies to comply with local regulations. Without it... tap my retirement accounts? Or scrimp and save each day for 5-7 years while a lovely lovely 5-star room in the heart of the Historic District stays vacant?

 

So this year, I will swing my front door open with all the warmth in my heart, but as I say hello to my guests, I think I am saying goodbye to AirBnB.

 

Unless.... ? I would love to hear thoughts, comments, ideas, suggestions! And if you are in Annapolis and want to band together, reach out to me here, or contact Megan Moore at the Easy Street Gallery on Main Street!

 

Best regards to everyone everywhere who opens their home to strangers.

Susan

 

 

18 Replies 18
Lisa1831
Level 5
New York, NY

@Susan1392 

Start a go fund me page.

Keep hosting as long as you can before changes take place .

How much is the license? 

In any case thanks for sharing.

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

@Susan1392 

are you sure all these draconian rules will apply to live-in hosts as well? Or is it for the entire apartments/houses only?

 

Here in Croatia, we have to get a license to be able to short-term rent a room or the entire apartment. This is not new, this regulation existed long before Airbnb. When I first saw it I thought it is impossible to satisfy, it was really scary  🙂  The list of our requirements is very very long and the regulations vary depends on the number of stars you want to get ( 2* - 5* ) and if your unit is in the old building/house or it is newly built for renting purposes.

 

Some of those regulations are outdated and absurd for example in order to get 5* in a newly built house you have to have a landline phone in the bathroom 😄 😄 but of course nobody cares about it anymore and you will get 5* without it anyway if you satisfy other important requirements.

 

We also have to get our electricity, gas pipes, stoves, chimney, boiler and the quality of water inspected and it costs about 200 € per unit + the categorization and the unit inspector is another 100€

 

At your place, I would go and try to get a license. Maybe not immediately but after 6 months or so when the inspectors relax a bit :))) I would make those logical changes which don't cost much and file for the license.

If you get it then great if not then think about other options.

 

 

 

 

 

@Branka-and-Silvia0 A landline in the bathroom!?!?!? And I thought paint chips were bad!! 

 

I called my electrician today, and he told me that because my house up to fire code, it will "only" cost $700 to swap out the smoke detectors and replace them with combined smoke/CO2 detectors. Since I have been doing AirBnB, I can actually afford $700. But without, I haven't a chance. And the C02 detectors are just one small part of this. 

 

But @Lisa1831 I will take heart and AirBnB as long as I can, keeping a tight eye on this upcoming legislation. @Helen3, as soon as the bill is posted (coming in June), I will post a link to it here!

@Susan1392 

700$  ???

I got smoke/Co detector for free from Airbnb last year

@Branka-and-Silvia0 WOW!!! I will look into this for sure!!!

@Susan1392 

it's cheap, works on batteries and you just hang it on the wall like any wall clock.

You can buy it everywhere but maybe you can order it from ABB, they are giving them from time to time for free but you can also buy if you need more then one

try to order here

https://www.airbnb.com/trust/home-safety

Oh.... our C02 detectors must be hard-wired into house. No batteries for short-term liscenses here! But I will look into it, maybe actually call the short-term rental office and find out exactly what the requirements are. 

@Susan1392 

BRK SC9120B Hardwired Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detector with Battery Backup

US$ 33

 

https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-Hardwired-Monoxide-Detector/dp/B00O8MVW12

 

 

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

Can you link to this legislation that you mention that brings these restrictions in for shared homes @Susan1392 ?

David400
Level 2
United States

I went to a legislative meeting a few years ago and there were so many legislators that also rented their homes for commissioning week the measure didn’t pass. Are you sure this is going into effect? I don’t think this is Airbnb’s fault, it’s an Annapolis thing with the registered BNB’s becoming less busy and more outspoken about their issues with airBnb hosts.  I live between West Annapolis and Homewood so I’m outside of the historic district and have not been informed of anything. 

@David400 Hello, David! Thank you for your response! We are fighting this legislation with everything we have. It is ordinance O-26-19, and you can find a link at the Annapolis City Council page, or also try here: 

https://tinyurl.com/y4ooc7jf

 

We have formed a Facebook group to try and organize, and we are all calling our Alderpeople and the Mayor to protest. Please feel free to reach out to me if you want to learn more. But ordinance O-26-19 is a HUGE threat to Airbnb in Annapolis. You will be shocked when you read the bill.

 

Good luck!

Susan

Hello Susan!  I would love to speak with you more indepth about this.  I too live in Annapolis.  How can we connect?  Please advise.

Hello, @Patrice272 ! You can find me on the Support Annapolis STVR Facebook group to start!  I'm one of the admins, I will look for you, and let's see if we can connect that way! Let's see if this link comes through:

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/536704856860248/

 

Otherwise, try [email hidden for safety reasons]. Let's see if that works! 🙂

 

I'm looking forward to chatting!

 

Best,

Susan

@David400 By the way, on Monday, January 6, 2020, Anne Arundel County is voting on short-term rental legislation. The bill is 89-19... you might want to take a look, here is the link! Reach out if you want to organize!

 

https://www.aacounty.org/departments/county-council/legislation/bills-and-resolutions/an-ordinance-c...