The Pinellas County Commission unanimously approved a raft of new restrictions targeting short-term rental properties Tuesday night.
As previously reported in the Catalyst, Pinellas is home to more than 24,000 short-term rental properties, and the Tampa Bay region led the nation in demand for short-term properties. While they have become a cornerstone of the county’s tourism industry, residents complain they attract loud parties and disrupt local communities, especially near the beaches.
In public comment during Tuesday’s commission meeting, Largo resident Christian Krieger described living next to one home as “five years of hell.” An adjacent short-term rental, which Krieger claimed was owned by an Oregon-based LLC, was outfitted with a pickleball court, putt-putt and croquet green. “On average, we have our once-quiet neighborhood infested twice a week with rude, obnoxious, drunken travelers with zero respect for the homeowners-slash-voters in the neighborhood.”…