County approves tighter short-term rental restrictions

The Pinellas County Commission unanimously approved a raft of new restrictions targeting short-term rental properties Tuesday night. 

As previously reported in the Catalyst, Pinellas is home to more than 24,000 short-term rental properties, and the Tampa Bay region led the nation in demand for short-term properties. While they have become a cornerstone of the county’s tourism industry, residents complain they attract loud parties and disrupt local communities, especially near the beaches. 

In public comment during Tuesday’s commission meeting, Largo resident Christian Krieger described living next to one home as “five years of hell.” An adjacent short-term rental, which Krieger claimed was owned by an Oregon-based LLC, was outfitted with a pickleball court, putt-putt and croquet green. “On average, we have our once-quiet neighborhood infested twice a week with rude, obnoxious, drunken travelers with zero respect for the homeowners-slash-voters in the neighborhood.”

An initial hearing Feb. 25 “provided valuable input from both residents as well as from this Board,” said Kevin McAndrew, County Director of Building & Development Review Services. That feedback was distilled into five key provisions approved by the Commission:

• Maximum occupancy of short-term rentals to be limited to 10 people, which McAndrew noted was revised to include children; 
• Extending the county noise ordinance to 10 p.m.-9 a.m.; 
• Changing the definition of “bedroom” to reflect county and state building codes, which McAndrew specified “must be located along an exterior wall, have a closet and a door,” and specifically excluding converted sunrooms, dens and other living areas;
• Grandfathering leases for short-term rentals entered into prior to the passage of the ordinance, so existing reservations are unaffected;
• Requiring Airbnb hosts to comply with state sex offender reporting requirements.

Additionally, short-term rentals will be required to undergo biannual inspections and pay yearly licensing fees from April 1. The restrictions apply to any property rented for fewer than 30 days at a time more than three times per year.

“Since I’ve been elected this has been the number one complaint that gets expressed to be on a consistent basis,” Commission Chair Brian Scott, the ordinance’s sponsor, said after the vote. “It’s a problem that’s not getting any better.”

Commissioner Dave Eggers praised the ordinance for striking a balance between the rights of property owners and local residents. “I’m really excited about the start. I’m really excited about getting them on the rolls, for crying out loud.” 

“Short-term rentals can lead to a decrease in the number of long-term rentals, driving up prices for residents and making it harder for people to find affordable housing,” noted Carter Clarke of eXp Realty. “In regards to the new restrictions, I think they are mostly reasonable and fair.”

To Largo resident Krieger, however, the ordinance was a half-measure. He demanded the County put in place uniform rules and stiff fines for short-term rental properties and significantly increase enforcement, describing municipal code enforcement as “useless.” As businesses operating 24/7, he added, short-term rentals should have codes enforced differently than owner-occupied homes. 

Local resident Erika Herring agreed. “We could have the greatest ordinance in the world, but if we don’t have the ability to enforce it, what good is it?” 

Representing short-term rental owners, attorney Nicole Pote decried the ordinance’s restrictions on private property. Worse, she continued, “we do not believe the ordinance as drafted is going to stop the issues residents are upset about.”

Scott highlighted that the County would add three new code enforcement officials whose salaries would be offset by the new licensing fees, which would facilitate future updates to the ordinance. Describing it as a “midpoint, not an endpoint,” he stated, “What I really like about the certification process is we’ll be able to collect data. We’ll know where [the rentals] all are.”

“I think we landed in a good balanced place here.”