REDINGTON BEACH – Town commissioners are expected to discuss a proposed ordinance that would tighten regulations pertaining to short-term rentals.
Short-term rentals are not allowed in single-family residential districts in Redington Beach but clear, prohibitive language in the town’s ordinance is virtually nonexistent.
Redington Beach resident Ruth Davies is fed up with what she described as a revolving door of short term renters in her single-family zoned residential neighborhood. Davies, who also attended the Town Commission’s Oct. 30 meeting, restated her concerns and thanked the commission for its current efforts to put some prohibitive teeth in a new ordinance.
Davies has said the noise starts at 4 p.m. and continues into the early morning. The owner is renting it week by week for people on vacation.
Town code enforcement officer Mark Davis said previously that “four years ago I was told not to enforce anything. In previous years the feeling was that if nobody is hurt why push it.”
The issue came to a head when a former town clerk allegedly told an applicant who was seeking a construction permit to build a single-family home in a single-family residential district that it was the town’s policy to allow short-term rentals. Subsequently, the applicant was made aware of the town’s zoning ordinance that ostensibly prohibits short term use.
At a June 21, 2005 commission meeting, Redington Beach attorney Dominick Amadio was asked to clarify the town’s short-term rental policy. Amadio, in a June 30, 2005, letter explained that in a single-family residential district, the town should cite anyone who rents for less than 181 days.
In his letter Amadio explained that renting a property for less than 181 days requires property owners to pay a 4 percent tourist development tax to the county and a 7 percent sales tax to the state.
Accordingly, short-term rentals would constitute a tourist use, which is not allowed within single-family residential districts. In addition, if short-term rentals are receiving homestead exemption, Amadio said the town clerk should notify the Pinellas County Property Appraiser’s Office of the alleged violation.
Concluding that an amendment with teeth to the town’s ordinance was needed in lieu of merely implementing a policy as outlined by Amadio.
Town Attorney Andrew Salzman was instructed to draft an ordinance that would but some teeth into the existing ordinance. His first draft was given to the commission on Oct. 30 for their review.
The draft specifically defines short term rentals as any rental of a dwelling unit or portion of a dwelling unit of less than a six month (181 day) period. The prohibition applies to Districts 2 and 3. Violation of the ordinance can bring a $200 fine under the current ordinance.
The commission, however, elected to come up with a stiffer penalty with a second ordinance yet to be developed.
A second draft will be hashed over by the commission at an upcoming meeting this month.
