Ordinance 06-2025 - Short Term Rental Moratorium

TOWN COUNCIL OF CENTREVILLE

ORDINANCE 06-2026

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CENTREVILLE ADOPTING

A TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON THE APPLICATION FOR, APPROVAL

OF, CONSTRUCTION OF, EXPANSION OF, PROCESSING OF, OR ISSUANCE

OF ANY BOARD OF APPEALS, BUILDING PERMIT, AND ZONING

CERTIFICATE APPLICATIONS FOR ANY BOADINGHOUSES, BED-AND-

BREAKFASTS, AND SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND PENDING

CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF REVISED ZONING ORDINANCE

PROVISIONS AS THE TOWN COUNCIL MAY CONSIDER ADVISABLE

WHEREAS, the Town Council of Centreville has the authority under Section 5-213 of the Local Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, to enact and administer a zoning ordinance, which is Chapter 170 of the Centreville Town Code; and WHEREAS, Section 4-102(6) of the Land Use Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland authorizes the Town Council of Centreville to develop and adopt zoning restrictions to promote

the health, safety, morals or general welfare of the community, including the location and use of buildings, signs and structures on the land; and WHEREAS, the Town Council of Centreville enacted the current provisions for boardinghouses, bed-and-breakfasts, and short-term rentals in 2014 and 2015; and WHEREAS, the short-term rental industry has changed significantly since 2014 and 2015, and the Town Council does not believe that the current provisions adequately address the current

structure of short-term rentals and the potential issues that they create; and WHEREAS, the Town of Centreville has had several short-term rental applications in a short period of time, and there is a need to ensure that short-term rentals are properly regulated to reduce potential neighborhood impacts; and WHEREAS, the acceptance and processing of any applications, site plan and/or issuance of other zoning approvals, building permits, or zoning certificates before appropriate study of the

matter, obtaining desired public input, and consideration and approval of meaningful and effective Town ordinances and regulations governing the matter, would frustrate the Town’s ability to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the residents to the Town and be adverse to the orderly development of the Town; and WHEREAS, a temporary moratorium on new short-term rentals will allow the Town staff,

Planning and Zoning Commission, and Town Council to consider potential amendments to the zoning ordinance to strengthen Town law and protect the health, safety, and welfare of the Town of Centreville citizens; and WHEREAS, the Town Council has determined that a temporary moratorium, for a term of six (6) months, is a reasonable length of time to study, receive input and adopt any revisions to the Zoning

Ordinance; and Ord-06-2026-Short-Term-Rental-MoratoriumOrd-06-2026-Short-Term-Rental-Moratorium Page | 1 WHEREAS, the Centreville Planning and Zoning Commission considered the matter at its _________________, 2026 meeting and has recommended that the Town Council approve this Ordinance.

NOW, THEREFORE, be it ordained by the Town Council of Centreville:

Section 1.

The recitals set forth above are incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Ordinance.

Section 2.

A moratorium on the application for, consideration of, approval of, construction of, expansion of, processing of, or issuance of permits for any Board of Appeals, building permit, and zoning certificate applications for any boardinghouses, bed-and-breakfasts, and short-term rentals.

Section 3.

During the moratorium, the Town (including the Town Planning & Zoning Administrator’s office, the Building Department, the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Board of Appeals, the Town staff, and the Town Council) shall not process, consider, review, or approve any application, permit, or other approval under the Town Zoning Ordinance for any boardinghouses, bed-and-breakfasts, and short-term rentals.

Section 4.

The moratorium shall apply to applications currently pending before the Town, as well as, applications filed after the effective date of this Ordinance. However, it does not apply to any application as of the effective date of this Ordinance that has received site plan approval, zoning certificate approval and/or a building permit and which has already been approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Section 5.

This moratorium is adopted to allow sufficient time for the Town to accomplish the following:

a. Study the impacts of short-term rentals on residential neighborhoods, housing availability and affordability, and community character;

b. Receive public input, specifically to have the Planning Commission review this issue and provide recommendations;

c. Review and analyze short-term rental regulations adopted by other jurisdictions;

d. Consider any revisions to the Zoning Ordinance;

e. Consider all such other matters as the Town Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, and Town staff deem appropriate.

Section 6. The Town

Council shall have and reserves the right to extend or modify this moratorium for such additional period or periods and on such terms and conditions as it deems necessary for the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the Town of Centreville.

Section 7.

If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance or of the codes hereby adopted are, for any reason, held to be unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance or those codes.

Section 8. This

Ordinance shall become effective twenty (20) days after its enactment.

Ord-06-2026-Short-Term-Rental-MoratoriumOrd-06-2026-Short-Term-Rental-Moratorium Page | 2

ATTEST: THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CENTREVILLE

____________________________________

R. Gaye Adams Ashley Heffernan Kaiser, Esq., President Town Clerk _____________________________________

First Reading: Jeffrey D. Kiel, Vice President Second Reading:

Enacted:

Effective: _____________________________________

Sandra Lee Huffer, Member _____________________________________

Frederick E. Beu, Member ______________________________________

Fred M. McNeil, Member Ord-06-2026-Short-Term-Rental-MoratoriumOrd-06-2026-Short-Term-Rental-Moratorium Page | 3