Many Cliffers were renters once, usually for weeks at a time, before buying their own cabin. Informal, “Friends & Family” rentals are still a happy way to enable everything from family reunions to weddings on South Beach.

But Airbnb and VRBO have introduced a wholly new phenomenon: High turn-over daily rentals – over 50 separate engagements per year in some cases – and for Cliffers, the prospect of a new “neighbor” every weekend.

Airbnb may be appropriate in some locations.  But we believe that it is not right for Scientists’ Cliffs. Our community depends on volunteerism and mutual support – not individual profiteering.  The environment and infrastructure are fragile.  We’ve already seen incidents of late-night parties, and one Cliffer was almost run down by a VRBO “guest” while walking with his grandson.

According to the Board’s own survey in August 2022, most Cliffers want to ban short-term internet platform-based rentals (ST-IPBRs), and NOT to allow lifetime “Grandfathering” for existing operations.

A new rule has been proposed which allegedly will forbid any future short-term internet rental businesses, while giving current Airbnb/VRBO operators an exclusion which will enable them to continue this activity for their lifetimes.

This is a bad idea.  Not only does it create two “classes” of Cliffers; it won’t work at stopping Airbnb/VRBO from proliferating.  Our attorney has commented that our covenants and Maryland State Law form a solid basis for banning short-term Airbnb/VRBO operations.  But if we voluntarily surrender that bulwark, by allowing the current operators to continue their businesses, we will lose that legal shield, and the result is possible proliferation.