Key Takeaways

  • Fort Lauderdale passed an ordinance fining uncertified vacation rentals $1,000 per day
  • The city has over 1,500 registered rentals, far more than neighboring Hollywood or Pompano Beach
  • Suspensions take effect within 14 days, and violations reset after 12 clean months

Fort Lauderdale now has more registered vacation rentals than any of its Broward County neighbors, and city commissioners just made getting caught without a license far more expensive. The city counts more than 1,500 registered vacation rental properties, compared with roughly 800 in nearby Hollywood and 475 in Pompano Beach, making enforcement of its short-term rental rules a bigger operational lift than for its neighbors.

City commissioners passed an ordinance last week imposing a $1,000-per-day fine on any operator running a vacation rental without a certificate of compliance or with one that’s expired, according to Axios.

The most common violations cited by the city involve expired or missing certificates, along with noise and parking complaints.

The new rules also close a workaround some operators have used to dodge penalties. Property owners can no longer transfer a listing to an entity they control to escape a violation or suspension, mirroring a broader national push, like Irvine’s recent vote forcing platforms to disclose property records, to close identification loopholes.

Owners with unpaid fines, liens or penalties won’t be eligible for new or renewed certificates under the ordinance.

The city has also tied enforcement to safety, requiring property owners to allow inspections tied to safety-related complaints, and any suspension will take effect within 14 days of an order.

Fort Lauderdale residents have raised complaints about vacation rentals for years, including reports of loud parties and, in some cases, fatal shootings tied to local listings. That backdrop shaped the commission’s push for stiffer penalties over the light violations that have defined enforcement until now.

How the penalty resets and what stays on file

The ordinance builds in a path back to good standing. Violations reset after a property goes 12 consecutive months without a new one, giving compliant operators a way to clear their record over time.

Related: Airbnb sends cease-and-desist letter to Salt Lake City over enforcement

The rule changes also arrive as cities nationally debate how aggressively to police unregistered listings, a topic that’s drawn scrutiny following incidents highlighted in recent host safety controversies.

Fort Lauderdale’s approach leans on financial pressure rather than outright bans, betting that daily fines will do what a complaint hotline alone hasn’t.

Commissioners have not set a date for when the $1,000-per-day fine structure takes effect, though the ordinance’s 14-day suspension window is already written into the rule.

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