Editorial: Allow communities to restrict rentals

The explosion of short-term vacation rentals in Florida is fundamentally changing the character of communities throughout the state, yet the Legislature has prevented local governments from responding to reasonable concerns that residential neighborhoods are being transformed into the equivalent of motel strips.

A proposal by state Sen. Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican, would make matters worse. Senate Bill 188 would provide that "local laws, ordinances and regulations adopted after a certain date may not restrict the use of, prohibit, or regulate vacation rentals based solely on their classification, use or occupancy, etc."

The bill was referred to the Regulated Industries, Community Affairs and Rules committees. We hope this bad bill will get bottled up in committee before the Legislature opens its annual 60-day session on March 7; if not, it will be up to legislators who believe in deference to the government closest to the people to reject the idea.

Steube told Zac Anderson of the Herald-Tribune last month that his bill was triggered by a personal experience. The senator, who lives on a large lot in semi-rural Sarasota County, said he tried to buy an investment property on Florida's east coast but was advised that local laws prevented short-term rentals. "For me it boils down to a property right," Steube said.

But how about the rights of the owners who deliberately purchased properties zoned for residential but now face the prospect of being surrounded by houses that effectively serve as motel or hotel rooms, rented out a day or two at a time, sometimes to an unlimited number of occupants? What about their investments? What about their reliance on reasonable regulations that were in place before the Legislature began intervening in local affairs starting in 2011?

Let's face it: While legions of renters are respectful of those around them and provide welcome economic impacts locally, cities in Florida - especially beachfront communities in our region - have experienced downsides, including intrusive late-night noise, litter and parking problems.

The cities of Venice, Holmes Beach and Anna Maria have attempted to use zoning codes and local ordinances to address residents' concerns, and Bradenton Beach voters in November approved initiatives to limit construction of new houses with more than four bedrooms for rent.

The Legislature in 2011 prohibited local governments from regulating short-term vacation rentals (a house rented more than three times a year for less than 30 days at a time). The legislation allowed cities to maintain their ordinances if they were adopted before June 1, 2011. That law created problems for local governments behind the curve. It also made cities with laws in place hesitant to amend them, fearing that changes would eliminate their "grandfathered" status.

Fortunately, in 2014, the Legislature backed off slightly, reinstating the authority of local governments to adopt ordinances aimed at mitigating the effects of noise, parking, litter and public safety. But the bill continued to limit the ability of cities to respond to the concerns of their residents and voters.

Steube's bill would make matters worse by interjecting big state government into local affairs for no good reason.

The increase in short-term rentals, fueled by the growth of online services such as Airbnb, is so significant that counties, including Sarasota, are seeking to find ways to collect so-called tourist taxes on these transactions.

What's more, local officials believe that a 20-percent reduction in the permanent-resident population on Anna Maria Island is due in part to the effects of short-term vacation rentals.

Vacationers are valuable to the local and state economies. But so are permanent residents, and local governments that have the power to protect their interests.

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