PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Pinellas County commissioners received 300 complaints from residents about problems with short-term rentals in their neighborhoods.

During a commission meeting Tuesday night, dozens of people spoken in public comment, saying the short-term rentals have been a nightmare in their neighborhoods. The meeting was to address an ordinance that would’ve made changes to the way short-term rentals operate. 

“Neighborhoods (are) being invaded, degraded and ruined by short term rentals,” one man said.

“These are corporations, they are ruining the fabric of our communities,” said one woman.

They said its more than just the bowling alleys, pickleball courts, and fire pits creating noise in their backyards. There is a fear that corporations will buy homes, push people out, and possibly raise prices in neighborhoods.

“I might have to leave the state because it’s not affordable,” another woman said.

“You are going to lose earning power to an enterprise that has no business being on our streets,” said one man.

Tuesday was the first of two public hearings on this matter. County leaders explained how state preemptions prevent local governments from prohibiting vacation rentals and limiting durations or frequencies of such rentals.

“It’s not that we don’t want to, it’s that we don’t have the ability to,” said Commissioner Kathleen Peters.

Commissioners discussed rewriting noise ordinances to correspond with quite hours for rentals, between 10 p.m. and 9 a.m.

They want to consider daily citations if owners violate ordinances and even revoke licenses in some cases.

Commissioners also agreed on making a maximum occupancy of 10 people in a rental, to include children as well.

There are efforts to get rentals to register their property through the county to help keep track of them. County leaders said they don’t know where short-term rentals are located or how many there are but finding that out can be achieved through a certificate of use. They will use technology to screen host platforms and identify where short-term rentals are located.

The hope is that it helps with accountability.

“Years ago, this was an isolated issue. Now it’s very much widespread,” said Commission Chair Brian Scott.

County leaders shared data showing nearly 18,000 short-term rentals in Pinellas County as of 2024, and they admit regulating has been ineffective.

There will be another public hearing on this matter, and the final vote is in two weeks.