INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. — After months of discussion and debate, Indian Rocks Beach leaders cleared a major hurdle toward regulating short-term rentals after a lengthy meeting Tuesday night.
Homeowners in the coastal community have been pushing for the change after the vacation rentals, such as those listed on Airbnb and VRBO, have spread throughout the community.
While homeowners have said they do not have complaints about the vast majority of people who vacation in the beach-side community, they said some short-term rental guests have disrupted the tranquil atmosphere of pre-existing neighborhoods through drunken pool parties, loud music, and reckless driving.
“In fact, Saturday, there was a wedding. The DJ’s speakers were so close to our property — couldn’t even sit out and enjoy the sunset. We can even tell you the entire playlist,” Diane Lincoln, a homeowner, told commissioners during the Tuesday meeting.
During the meeting, a 25-page ordinance, which laid out a detailed set of rules for both short-term rental owners and occupants, passed in a 3-1 vote. The ordinance requires one additional vote at a later date.
Under the ordinance:
- Owners would have to register their rentals with the city through an extensive paperwork and inspection process
- Many rentals would be capped at a max of 12 overnight occupants for the next two years before reducing to 10 after that period
- The rental’s owner or designee would have to be available to quickly respond to any complaints 24-7
- And, among other rules, each rental would need one parking spot per bedroom
The rules would apply to parts of town both east and west of Gulf Boulevard.
Tuesday, the commission considered an amendment to limit when guests can use a rental’s pool or jacuzzi, but they decided against that rule after a representative from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said it would not be enforceable.
While some were vying for stricter regulations, most who spoke during the meeting’s public comment session acknowledged the commission’s hard work on the issue and think the plan is a good start toward discouraging disruptive partying.
The rules, however, are still in jeopardy of being overturned or diminished.
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Luke Lirot, an attorney, is representing roughly 50 short-term rental owners.
While he said his clients are happy with some of the compromises reached by city commissioners, they still have a lot of grounds to challenge the ordinance if they choose to do so.
However, for now, Lirot and his clients will take a “wait and see” approach.
Lirot, his clients, and city commissioners are all monitoring a bill at the State Capitol that would restrict a local government’s ability to regulate short-term rentals. Versions of the bill are making their way through the House and Senate.
If the legislation passes, it would throw a serious wrench into Indian Rocks Beach’s plan.
“This whole issue could be dramatically changed by both the House bill and the Senate bill,” Lirot said. “The bills would limit it, and it would basically put a limitation on the ability to regulate short-term rentals. They couldn’t go beyond what they do to regulate single-family homes…and that would definitely hamper the desire of this commission.”
A state senator who lives in Indian Rocks Beach is sponsoring the Senate version of the bill.
The House version is set to receive a committee hearing on Wednesday afternoon.
