Pinellas County leaders consider regulations for short-term rentals
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. - In Pinellas County, commissioners are considering new ways to crack down on short-term rentals.
In St. Pete alone, there are 3,200 Airbnb and VRBO listings, city leaders say. A bill is waiting for Governor Ron DeSantis' signature that would give the state more control over regulating those rentals.
READ: Pinellas County leaders weighing new regulations for pet stores
SB 280 sparked local leaders' discussion about better regulations for short-term rentals on Thursday. County commissioners and the St. Pete City Council both met to discuss the topic, recognizing short-term rentals are a Catch-22 because visitors obviously help the local economy, but some of the rentals can cause disturbances for locals.
Local leaders say the number of complaints from residents about some of these rental properties has grown significantly over the past year, prompting a push to crack down on so-called party houses.
According to Kevin McAndrews, the director of Development Review Services and Code Enforcement for Pinellas County, code enforcement saw more than a 300 percent increase in the number of complaints last year. He said just looking at the first quarter of 2024, that number will jump even higher.
"So, I don't think, again, it's a surprise that there's a correlation in the number of complaints tied to the increase in the number of short-term rentals operating," McAndrews said. "So, I want to kind of calibrate us here on the role of the state with regard to short-term rentals," he said.
The bill would cap the occupancy of short-term rentals at a max of two people per bedroom. It would also let local governments regulate quality of life standards like noise and the number of parking spots as long as it is uniformly applied.
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS
At Thursday's meeting, Pinellas County commissioners initially discussed a first-time registration fee of $250 and an annual renewal fee of $125 but then said they think it should be higher. Commissioners also floated the idea of a $500 fee if someone doesn't register.
"The bill does include provisions for municipalities to have a registration program and an annual renewal. This is an important provision," said McAndrew. "Again, this is the one that is the first step in what we believe would be bringing some increased accountability."
SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter
The Florida Realtors Association is asking the governor to veto the bill, saying it doesn't give a fair balance between rights of property owners to rent on a short-term basis and local governments to regulate the rentals.
"At the end of the day, we need more enforcement, instant enforcement. And, you know, code enforcement is not on duty during the weekends when the majority of these complaints occur," Pinellas County Commissioner Brian Scott said. "So, whatever the registration fee, I think [it] should be also to include whatever additional enforcement we think we may need."
Several local cities are calling on the governor to veto the bill too, including Indian Rocks Beach's mayor, who wrote a letter to the governor saying this isn't a one-size-fits-all issue.
Indian Rocks Beach introduced a new city ordinance that went into effect last year, cracking down on vacation rentals. Locals said they've noticed positive changes when it comes to regulating the rentals thanks to the ordinance, and they fear the bill will derail that progress.
Senator Nick DiCeglie, from Indian Rocks Beach, is the bill's sponsor. He said the bill is modeled after ordinances like Indian Rocks Beach’s, and will balance the needs of property owners while regulating "bad actors" causing disturbances.
The bill would grandfather in regulations adopted before 2016. If the governor signs the bill, it will go into effect on July 1.