Key Takeaways
- Over 15,000 properties in Manatee County operate as transient lodging, with 4,400 in one fire district alone.
- Florida state law blocks local governments from banning or limiting rental frequency for short-term rentals.
- High-capacity investor properties drive most neighbor complaints, while smaller rentals operate without issue.
A county in Florida has confirmed that more than 15,000 properties countywide advertise as transient lodging establishments, including 4,400 STRs covering Anna Maria Island and west Manatee.
Any property rented for stays of less than 30 days more than three times a year falls under this category, placing it in the same general classification as traditional motels and hotels.
Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski of West Manatee Fire Rescue told “The Anna Maria Islander” that this number comes as a surprise to many local officials.
Residents say short-term rentals are spreading from Anna Maria Island into mainland neighborhoods, raising concerns about noise, safety and whether residential areas can coexist with the growing rental market.
Martha Jane Flynn, a director with Pine Meadow Homeowners Association, said her 100-home community has at least 25 short-term rentals, with a smaller number of high-capacity, investor-owned properties driving most complaints.
Most of these properties operate without any problems, but a few of the larger-capacity investor-owned STRs drive a large number of complaints, she said.
“We have excellent relationships with about 20 of those rentals,” Flynn said.
“But these larger-capacity rentals, they’re not here to enjoy the property. They’re here to be a profit center, she continued, adding, “We don’t have anything in place to stop them. We rely on county ordinances and enforcement.”
According to Flynn, noise, trash, and street parking are the primary complaints, particularly as homes designed for a few residents are marketed to large groups.
“While you might be able to put 20 people inside a house, when you put 20 people outside, you’re talking event, large gathering,” she said, noting, “They’re being told that if they want high volume and high return, they need to max out the people and build out the backyard,” she said.
Fire safety enforcement creates compliance gap
Hotels must meet extensive fire-safety requirements, while short-term rentals face a narrower set of minimum standards that local agencies cannot strengthen, Kwiatkowski said, according to the outlet.
West Manatee Fire Rescue conducted roughly 2,500 inspections last year, but hundreds of properties ignored inspection requests.
Related: South Carolina county explores STR regulation options
Manatee County Commission Chair Tal Siddique said state law prevents local governments from newly banning short-term rentals or regulating how frequently they can be rented.
Much of the growth is occurring in unincorporated Manatee, where regulations differ from nearby cities like Bradenton and Holmes Beach that have adopted local ordinances.
Flynn’s voluntary HOA has no deed restrictions or bylaws to limit short-term rentals and relies on county ordinances and enforcement.
Most properties in her community operate without issue, but larger-capacity, investor-owned rentals designed as profit centers generate the bulk of neighbor complaints.
Operators in areas without municipal STR regulations should watch whether Florida lawmakers revisit SB 180’s restrictions on local land-use rules.
