Hourly room rentals banned in Howard County motels, hotels

The Howard County Council has passed an ordinance making it illegal to rent a motel room on an hourly basis after a situation occurred at the Terrace Motel. Jeffrey F. Bill/Staff

The Howard County Council on Monday unanimously passed a bill banning hourly room rentals at motels and hotels.

After Elkridge residents raised concerns about sex trafficking and other illegal activities in motels, particularly those on U.S. Route 1, Democratic state Sen. Clarence Lam, who represents Howard and Anne Arundel counties, proposed a local bill in the General Assembly banning hourly room rentals. It was then decided the bill should be handled at the local level and Council Chair Liz Walsh, who represents part of Elkridge, introduced it to the council on March 17. The bill received only positive testimony from residents in support of the legislation.

“We needed to do it, and I’m glad that you’re doing it,” Council member Deb Jung said to Walsh as she cast her “yes” vote Monday night.

A month before the bill’s introduction, 27-year-old Robert Bennett Jr. was arrested and charged with 47 counts of sex trafficking, prostitution, theft, robbery, armed robbery and weapon violations after allegedly operating out of the Terrace Motel in Elkridge. Walsh said it was a “pure coincidence” police released body-worn camera footage of his arrest days before the bill was introduced. The bill would help “disincentivize” motels profiting from illicit activity, she said when introducing it.

“ ‘No-tell motels,’ lodging by the hour, this is something that I know Elkridge and the other areas along Route 1 are sick of, and I’m glad that Ms. Walsh was in touch with her constituents and followed through on a request that apparently has been long-standing for them,” Jung said.

Have a news tip? Contact Kiersten Hacker at [e-mail] or @KierstenHacker on X.