Largo Eyes Tougher Rules for Short-Term Rentals

LARGO — Short-term rental owners would have to register with the city and could face tougher penalties for repeated problems under new rules being considered by city commissioners.

Commissioners discussed the proposed rules during an Aug. 11 work session and are set to take an initial vote Sept. 1.

Owners would have to pay a $600 yearly registration fee, along with a $100 fire inspection fee. The city also would get new tools to deal with rentals that repeatedly cause problems such as noise, parties, parking and other issues.

Some commissioners, though, said they want the city to go even further.

“I want to lean towards the aggressive side,” Commissioner Mike DiBrizzi said. He urged staff to push the rules “right up to the limits of what we're allowed to do.”

Vice Mayor Chris Johnson, who stayed at a short-term rental in Putnam County, Georgia, over the weekend, told colleagues an enforcement officer he met there credited a “three strikes” policy with keeping rentals in line.

"Three strikes in a year, and you are going to lose your license," Johnson said. "And the owners take that seriously. They're not going to take a chance of killing their revenue."

Mayor Woody Brown seemed intrigued by the idea, asking at one point, “Can we do something like that?”

But the city attorney cautioned that such a policy might not pass legal muster in Florida.

Largo currently has 306 known active short-term rentals, but staff believes the actual number is higher.

So far this year, the city has opened 81 code enforcement cases involving short-term rentals. Thirteen have gone before the city's code enforcement board.

Largo also plans to buy software that can search vacation rental websites for properties in the city. That would help staff find rentals that have not registered and spot possible violations.

Owners who fail to register could face daily fines. Unpaid fines also could lead to liens and, in some cases involving non-homesteaded properties, foreclosure proceedings.

Additionally, the city is considering a “chronic nuisance” ordinance aimed at properties with repeated problems.

A property could be considered a chronic nuisance after three citations within 30 days or seven within six months. The city could then require the owner to take steps to stop the problems. That could include changes involving security or property management.

And if none of that works, the city could take the property owner to court.

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