Bradenton puts brakes on short-term rental rules after backlash. Here’s how to comment
City officials said they plan to begin regulating short-term rentals in Bradenton, but first, they’ll take more time to figure out which rules to apply.
Rental owners spoke with the Bradenton City Council during a public meeting Wednesday morning to express concern with the proposed regulations, which they described as “burdensome,” “invasive” and a “logistical nightmare.” Their comments led the board to hold off on approving a new program that would require hosts to meet several provisions before they could continue welcoming guests.
Last February, Bradenton leaders said they hoped to get in front of some of the concerns they’ve heard from residents about short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods. Visitors have been reported for noise, parking and trash violations.
Short-term rentals, which have become popularized by websites like Airbnb and Vrbo, allow property owners to rent out homes to guests that plan to stay less than six months. Without a landlord present to supervise the property, neighbors and city staff are left to deal with unruly guests when problems arise.
“When you’re on vacation, you want to relax or recreate. You might not realize that your neighbor has a brand new baby or have to go to work the next morning. I don’t think anyone here would buy a house next door to a Holiday Inn,” Councilwoman Marianne Barnebey said.
“Many hosts are good people who keep their property up. They want to be good neighbors … but there are some individuals who care more about the almighty dollar than they do their community,” she continued. “It appears that many of our neighbors are having serious, serious issues and getting the landlord to pay attention is difficult.”
What rules can Bradenton apply to short-term rentals?
City officials first considered taking more control over how short-term rentals operate about a year ago. At that time, City Attorney Scott Rudacille suggested that a licensing program could allow the board to get a better handle on the properties. Other Florida cities have taken a similar approach, he said.
By requiring landlords to submit applications to the city, Bradenton could gather a point of contact for each rental and inspect the property to ensure hosts only welcome as many guests as the home can fit. Based on the proposed rules, the city plans to limit the number of guests in a home based on the number of bedrooms and parking spaces.
The application fee is expected to cost between $200 and $300, said City Administrator Rob Perry.
The proposed rules do not apply to short-term rental owners who choose to rent out private bedrooms in their home while the owner continues to live there. The rules also do not apply to condo associations, which enforce their own rules.
Bradenton’s program would also only apply to properties within city limits, not other parts of Manatee County.
Bradenton hosts suggest program changes
But board members agreed that some of the rules in the proposal place too much of a burden on rental hosts. Some of the requirements, such as providing a landline phone for every rental property and maintaining a ledger of every guest’s contact information for two years, were met with push-back from hosts and officials.
“There’s a lot of unintended consequences in here. A lot of what people are complaining about can be taken care of by stepping up our code enforcement, which we’ve already said we want to do. I couldn’t support it the way it is,” Councilwoman Jayne Kocher said. “There’s several things in here that I question — there’s inspections and fees. I would prefer to see the carrot rather than the stick.”
Including the application and posting requirements, landlords would need to comply with more than 30 new rules. Hosts told the board during Wednesday’s public meeting that many of those rules would cut into the hosts’ profits.
“It seems like a logistical nightmare to send people out and have them inspecting all these units. The (landline) phone lines are burdensome for me. It would add $300 or $400 a month to add phones to units I have,” said Mike Tellier, an Airbnb host who went “all in” on the rental platform after he was furloughed from his job during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on behalf of the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee, Max Brandow, the organization’s vice president of advocacy and member programs, also criticized the proposed policy, questioning Bradenton’s ability to enforce it.
“Our position has been consistent since Day 1. If the city wishes to resolve issues related to short-term rentals, they already have the ability to do so,” Brandow said, pointing to Bradenton’s existing noise, trash and parking ordinances.
“I think you all have the tools you need to enforce any change. It just needs to be acted upon,” said Desni Kelley, another host with an Airbnb rental in Bradenton.
But board members said they still believe a program needs to be put in place in order to keep track of where short-term rentals exist in the city. If issues do arise, having certain information on file would make it easier for the city to contact the property owner.
“This has an ability to make a big impact,” said Councilman Patrick Roff. “I don’t think what we’re doing is too much to ask. I really don’t.”
The hosts who spoke with the board said they do their best to be good neighbors by posting house rules and making sure their guests follow them. City leaders said the hosts who don’t exercise any oversight are the ones forcing them to install a set of guidelines.
“Some of the things the government has to regulate at times is because of that 1 or 2%,” Mayor Gene Brown said.
What happens next?
The City Council agreed to meet with hosts and other stakeholders during a public workshop meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 2. Then the board will host another meeting on Feb. 9 to consider approving the ordinance.
Both meetings are scheduled at City Hall, 101 12th St. W., downtown. The Feb. 2 meeting begins at 9 a.m., and the Feb. 9 meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. Public comment will be accepted at both meetings.
