Ocean City validated the necessary signatures on a petition against ordinances to restrict short-term rentals in certain parts of town, paving the way for a referendum vote.

Led by a group called OCMD Property Rights, the petition efforts gathered 1,090 verified signatures for the referendum, which will take place July 22. The residents only needed 990 signatures for the vote.

Voters will now decide the fate of the measures, which mandate a minimum of five-night stays for rentals this year and next in “R1” districts, made up of low-density and single-family residential developments, and “MH” districts, which comprise mobile home parks and subdivisions.

Some residents argued the two ordinances, passed this year, threaten the town’s tourism-driven economy and unfairly take away property owners’ rights. Others believe they boost the rights of owners who deal with loud noises, excess trash and other issues with vacation renters.

Terry Miller, president of the OCMD Property Rights, raised concerns at a Monday City Council meeting, arguing that the ordinances cater to a small group of residents while ignoring the broader community’s reliance on vacation rentals.

“People have been very supportive,” Miller said in an interview. “When we knocked on doors, the vast majority of residents do not want this ordinance and that spanned all age groups and all areas. We should be focused on fixing problems, not taking away people’s property rights.”

Miller argued that the ordinances represent the interests of a small group while ignoring the broader community’s reliance on vacation rentals as a cornerstone of Ocean City’s identity.

The R-1 and MH zoning districts represent about 3% to 4% of the overall rental properties in town. There are about 10,000 rental units in Ocean City, and approximately 300 to 350 of those are affected by the ordinance, according to Ocean City Manager Terry McGean.

In a statement, the city pointed out that over 9,000 short-term rental licenses remain outside these areas, as well as 11,000 hotel rooms and more than 20,000 condos, townhouses and homes that remain unrestricted, “including the entire ocean block.”

Dan Jasinski, a Baltimore native and full-time Ocean City resident for the past nine years, said the ordinance is “a start for much-needed regulations.”

Other residents have petitioned against the ordinance because of the financial implications of not being able to rent their properties.

“We’re fighting to preserve what makes Ocean City special,” said Linda Tucker, who owns a property in Ocean City that she rents to vacationers. “The way we’ve been attacked is deeply disappointing.”

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