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New Vacation Rental Regulations Head to Planning and Zoning

By Bryan Boggiano

On January 5 and February 16, multiple residents from Running Brook Hills spoke out about the city’s current vacation rental regulations, alleging that officials were not doing enough to keep neighborhoods safe.

Now, city staff might have a solution for them — and other residents.

The Planning and Zoning Board meets Monday, March 7, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall located at 9500 W. Sample Road to discuss proposed changes to the city’s current ordinance regulating vacation rental properties.

Under Florida law, local governments cannot ban vacation rental properties or the duration and frequency of renting such properties.

But, local governments can use building and fire prevention codes to ensure that rental properties do not make neighborhoods unsafe, according to a city document.

On June 2, 2021, the Coral Springs city commission passed the current ordinance on vacation rental properties stating owners must register with the city, have a certificate of compliance, adhere to occupancy limits and fire safety requirements, and adhere to trash and waste pickup procedures, among other conditions.

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Since the ordinance passed, the city reported more vacation rentals registering. Residents from one neighborhood, Running Brook Hills, said five such properties on one block, leading to concerns about safety.

In response, residents and city staff collaborated on updating the current ordinance.

Proposed changes will affect the registration requirements, vacation rental standards, and code enforcement.

In addition to current registration requirements, the city is proposing that a property survey, a dimensioned and city-approved floor plan, and a barring agreement with the Coral Springs Police signed by the property owner be required.

For these proposed property standards, maximum occupants cannot exceed 16 people, and gatherings of more than 19 are prohibited, although a building official or fire marshal could reduce this amount.

Under the new rules, there may be no more than three unregistered guests on a property at a given time. No unregistered guests are allowed on a property after 10 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and after 11 p.m. on Fridays or Saturdays.

The new proposed rules would also require owners to keep a lessee logbook with vehicle tag numbers, enforce noise control strictly, and ban using properties for commercial uses.

Under enforcement, the city would monitor five major websites weekly, including Airbnb, FlipKey, Booking.com, VRBO, and TripAdvisor.

The ordinance would also punish properties not adhering to code, ranging from a warning letter to revoking their license, based on severity and frequency of violations.

After at least two violations, the city manager or designee can suspend a property’s certificate of compliance. The suspension would be 30 days for the second violation, 180 days for the third, and 365 days for the fourth.

City staff recommends that the Planning and Zoning Board forward a favorable recommendation to the city commission, who will vote on the proposed changes at their March 16 meeting.

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Author Profile

Bryan Boggiano

Bryan has a degree in journalism from the University of Florida and earned his masters in geosciences from Florida International University, where he focused in atmospheric sciences. His interests include weather, entertainment, and municipal government.