JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – A growing number of Jacksonville Beach residents say short-term rentals are turning their neighborhoods into what they call a “revolving door” of unruly guests, and they want local leaders to step in.
This call to action comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a statewide bill aimed at regulating vacation rentals last summer, leaving local communities like Jacksonville Beach without clear authority to enforce restrictions.
Walking through John and Ursula Elrod’s backyard in Jacksonville Beach Friday, a group of guests could be heard gathering outside a pool at a nearby Airbnb.
“So it’s just a rotating door of anyone and everyone that wants to come in,” said Ashley Kelm, who also lives adjacent to an Airbnb in Jacksonville Beach.
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Residents say there are just too many short-term rentals in the area, and they’ve reported a range of problems, from noise and drug use to a deadly shooting at a nearby rental property.
“Would you guys say that these properties diminish your quality of life?” News4JAX reporter Tiffany Salameh asked.
“Yes, yes.” “110%.” “And the property value itself,” the group responded.
“I think to me, it’s safety, my family. I’m concerned about my family,” said Kevin Phillips, another resident in the neighborhood.
“Just like, you don’t know what you’re going to get every single day, every single week. It’s different types of groups, but their intent is to party, and they’re not here to be a part of the neighborhood,” Kelm added.
Short-term rental listings have exploded across Jacksonville Beach. A search on Airbnb showed more than 500 properties available.
Residents say they’ve communicated their concerns to Jacksonville Beach city council as well as the Mayor’s office, but are met with little regard.
“They say they’re just following the state’s lead, which, again, they don’t need to do,” Phillips said.
The Elrods, Kelm, and Phillips would all like to see Jacksonville Beach city leaders start implementing some restrictions on short-term rentals.
“The quote that I just got from City Hall was it’s their house. They can do whatever they want, and the reality is they can’t do whatever they want,” Kelm said. “This is my house. I can’t knock it down and put a gas station in tomorrow. I’m not allowed to do that. That’s commercial. So, Airbnb and VRBO have found loopholes to get around the commercial zoning. That’s the issue. So what we’d like to see is code enforcement. We’d like to see our city, Jax Beach, do exactly what Tampa and St. Pete have started doing, which is banning these properties.”
According to the city of St. Petersburg, short-term rentals must be at least 30 days in length in residential districts.
News4JAX reached out to the Mayor of Jacksonville Beach for comment on this story.
She says it’s important to note that cities have very little power over short-term vacation rentals, especially when it comes to zoning. The City of Jacksonville Beach does have an application and inspection process and sets occupancy limits for short-term rentals.
Mayor Hoffamn encouraged residents to call and file complaints if they have issues with rental properties.