Hourly Room Rental Ban Contemplated By Howard County Council

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A rash of incidents involving drug transactions, prostitution and human trafficking at hourly motels along Route 1 not only concern officials, but are hampering families and individuals' ability to stay at the motels for temporary housing purposes.

An Elkridge Community Alliance representative told Howard County leaders last week that something needs to be done. The Howard County Council will be voting April 7 on a ban for hourly room rentals, which largely targets roughly a dozen motels in Elkridge, according to The Baltimore Banner. If approved, the ban would mirror one in effect in Prince George's County, which took effect in 2015.

Council chair Liz Walsh said she introduced the bill "in an effort to curb and disincentivize motels from profiting off such criminal activity even as they serve as transitional housing for some residents," the Banner reported. Some hotel booking businesses, such as Dayuse, market hourly room rentals to people looking for romantic getaways, photoshoots or a place to rest during layovers. Several hotels within driving distance to BWl Thurgood Marshall Airport allow customers to book rooms for a few hours during the day.

Read more at The Baltimore Banner