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Board orders homesteaded property to document vacation-rental status or stop renting
Summary
The code board ordered the owner of 7108 Venetian Way to come into compliance with the town’s vacation-rental rules by March 14; staff noted homestead-exemption questions and said the property-appraiser may be contacted if records show improper homestead claims for a rental.
The Town of Lake Clarke Shores Code Enforcement Board on Feb. 26 found 7108 Venetian Way in violation of section 125-1100 for operating as an unregistered vacation rental and ordered the owner to comply by March 14, 2025.
Code enforcement officer Eric Richwagon told the board that neighbor complaints prompted an inspection and that the owner, Louis G. Gonzales, later met with staff and said he intends to register the property. "He does want to get it registered," Richwagon said, and staff recommended granting a short window for the owner to submit the application and complete the required building-inspector inspection.
Board members and staff discussed an outstanding question raised at the hearing: property-appraiser records show the house carries a homestead exemption. Melissa, building-department staff, said the town typically notifies the property appraiser when evidence indicates a homesteaded property is being used as a vacation rental; Richwagon said he has referred similar cases to the property appraiser in prior years.
The board set a March 14 compliance deadline and warned that if the owner does not complete the town’s vacation-rental registration process and a required inspection by that date, the board may impose fines not to exceed $250 per day and hold a fine-assessment hearing on March 26. The registration process requires an inspection for safety items such as smoke detectors, a fire extinguisher, pool security and posted emergency information, per staff guidance.
Richwagon said staff checks online vacation-rental listings and monitors new platforms to identify unregistered rentals and that the town coordinates with building staff and police as needed. Board members suggested staff also consult the Palm Beach County tourist-development-tax office as a potential supplementary source of rental listings.
