Ping, thump. Ping, thump. Bobada, bobada, bobada, bobada. Splash, rinse, repeat.
It’s 1 a.m. The alarm is set to go off in five hours. Oblivious pickleball players still in their Pacific time zone are right next door having a game, their kids shooting hoops. Everyone enjoys a quick dip in the pool and they are all having good, family fun on their well-earned vacation in a rental in a residential Manatee County neighborhood.
Day and night court and pool noise, getting hit in the head with a golf ball in the backyard and having a dozen cars parked next door for days were some residents’ complaints that led county commissioners to order staff to review a proposed county ordinance to regulate short-term vacation rentals.
The last time commissioners considered a vacation rental ordinance, it died in a 3-3 tie vote. On June 16, they voted unanimously for the revision of a proposed ordinance tailored to the unincorporated portion of the county.
The proposed ordinance would require a mandatory registration program and fees, establish maximum occupancy and parking standards, require life safety inspections, establish the duties of a designated responsible party and more.
Vacation rental owner Rich Clover told commissioners that additional code enforcement response to laws and ordinances already in place would be preferable to a new ordinance.
Most speakers disagreed.
“The welcome mat is gone. We are done,” District 3 county resident Diana Adams told commissioners. “We are not taking it anymore.”
Adams had written Commissioner Bob McCann a few days earlier requesting help with what she termed the “nightmare” of living next to vacation rentals. In response, McCann proposed that staff work on the ordinance.
“We feel that the county values TDT (Tourist Development Tax) money more than the actual citizens of Manatee County,” she wrote. “Citizens living in these neighborhoods are not benefiting from these tax dollars. We did not sign up to live next door to the resort pool and recreation area, yet we live this every day. We, at the very least, should have one dedicated 24/7 county office that can take citizen complaints and then direct them to the appropriate resource.”
Sean Devilla recounted the irritation of hearing pickleball and basketball court noise at all hours. Vacation rentals often feature pools and outdoor recreation courts in residential neighborhoods, some with little space between homes.
“I moved off Anna Maria Island based on looking for a peaceful place to live,” said county resident Laurie Dills, who requested adding a minimum rental period of 7-14 days and limiting rentals to “a reasonable percentage.”
The county can’t regulate the number of rental properties or the rental periods, Commission Chair Tal Siddique said, adding that the Florida Legislature passed a statute preempting the frequency and duration of vacation rentals to the state, although some municipalities — not including the county — were grandfathered in.
County commissioners who served 15 years ago and did not pass short-term rental regulations then, when rentals began to raise concerns, are to blame for the situation, Commissioner George Kruse said.
Commissioner Amanda Ballard said she favors seeing the staff’s proposal, but is concerned about the county’s ability to enforce a new ordinance without additional staffing, particularly if the property tax amendment passes in the November election, reducing the county’s income.
“It will be a heavy lift,” she said.
In its present form, which is subject to revision, the proposed ordinance provides:
• No property owner may rent or advertise a residential property located within unincorporated Manatee County as a vacation rental (stays of less than 30 days more than three times per year) without first obtaining a county vacation rental certificate;
• Applicant must provide a valid Transient Public Lodging Establishment license from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and an active Florida Department of Revenue sales tax account;
• Applicant must present proof of an active Tourist Development Tax account with the Manatee County Tax Collector for local bed tax remittance;
• Applicant must submit the formal application to Manatee County Code Enforcement along with an initial registration fee of $250 (annual renewals set at $150);
• Within 30 days of application, a county inspector must verify the property meets the Florida Building and Fire Prevention Codes, including working smoke/CO detectors and properly rated fire extinguishers;
• The maximum overnight occupancy for a vacation rental is capped at the lesser of two persons per bedroom (larger than 70 square feet), plus two additional persons in common spaces with a maximum of 12 total occupants per property, regardless of the home’s size;
• All guest vehicles must be parked entirely within the designated driveway or garage of the property, street parking for transient guests is prohibited and the property must provide a minimum of one off-street parking space for every four allowed guests;
• Every vacation rental owner must name a designated responsible party. This can be the owner or a local property management company. The designated responsible party must be available by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In the event of a noise, trash, or parking complaint initiated by neighbors, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Department, or code compliance, this person must respond and be physically present on-site within one hour of notification to resolve the issue;
• Every property must display a standardized, highly visible information packet on an interior wall directly adjacent to the primary entryway. The packet must explicitly detail the unique Manatee County Vacation Rental Certificate number, the name and 24/7 direct phone number of the designated responsible party, the maximum approved overnight guest occupancy limit, a sketch map showing the designated off-street parking boundaries and the scheduled collection days for solid waste and recycling, alongside county rules regarding trash bin storage (bins must be kept out of public sight except on pickup days);
• Enforcement will be handled by Manatee County Code Enforcement and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Violations of occupancy, parking, noise or registration mandates will result in fines assessed against the property owner - first offense, $250; second offense (within 12 months), $500 and a formal warning recorded to property file and mandatory property re-inspection at the owner’s expense ($100 fee); third offense (within 12 months), $1,000 and suspension of the vacation rental certificate for 90 days; fourth offense, $5,000 and revocation of the vacation rental certificate with ineligibility to reapply for 12 months.
Cindy Lane is a staff writer for the Tampa Bay Beacons. She can be reached at clane@tbnweekly.com.