Holmes Beach unfairly put 30-day minimum on more vacation rental homes

My family lives in Bradenton and we are Bradenton natives. We have been so blessed to be able to rent the same beach house on Holmes Beach for the past 33 years. My children are now adults and have the fondest memories of staying a week each summer at the beach, and they now enjoy the same thing as adults.

We can only stay one week because we both work and we can't afford to take off more than a week in the summer.

We just found out that next summer we will not be able to rent that house anymore because the City of Holmes Beach has passed a law that all homes in that area near the beach will no longer be able to rent by the week.

Beginning in 2017 the owner will only be able to have leases for 30 days or more. This seems so unfair to the owner and renters since the house across the street from the house we always have rented is able to rent by the week.

Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson seems to want to retain a family focused community in Holmes Beach. Hopefully, he will be able to do something about these rental restrictions and allow local families like ours to be able to continue to come to the beach for a well needed week at the beach each summer. I ask you, "Who can afford to rent a house at the beach for a month?"

Kathy and Michael Varsalona

Bradenton

This story was originally published February 7, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Holmes Beach unfairly put 30-day minimum on more vacation rental homes ."