City reports near‑99% compliance in code cases; 2,300 rental properties on three‑year inspection cycle

Bonita Springs’ Neighborhood Services department told council it conducted nearly 24,000 responsive activities in 2024, processed roughly 1,500 formal code cases that generated about 8,000 inspections, and achieved what the department described as a high compliance rate following hearings.

Tony Backus, director of Neighborhood Services and Emergency Management, presented the annual report and said the department’s work splits among code enforcement, permitting/licensing, and emergency management. Backus said inspectors handled property maintenance, unpermitted work and other code issues, and that the department holds six special‑magistrate hearings a year as part of the formal enforcement process.

Backus described the city’s residential rental permit program: about 2,300 rental residences are inspected on a three‑year cycle (with some exceptions for HOAs). He told the council that 54% of initial rental inspections passed last year; that implies roughly 1,200 re‑inspections for rentals and a higher total number of inspections related to rental regulation.

Numbers presented for formal code enforcement showed about 66 cases that reached hearing in 2024, with 10 cases recorded as noncompliant after hearing — an outcome the presenter characterized as about 99% compliance among cases that reached an imposition hearing. Backus also explained that repeat offenders are treated more stringently and may face higher daily fines and additional enforcement steps.

Council members asked about enforcement options for life‑safety conditions, repeating offenders, revocation of rental permits and the city’s authority to inspect units more frequently than the three‑year cycle when evidence of problems is received. Backus said the staff can mandate more frequent inspections for problem properties and that the city manager has authority to revoke rental permits in persistent nuisance cases.