Council discusses enforcement gap on short-term rentals; staff to use third‑party data and police assistance

Nassau Bay City Council members on June 9 focused attention on short-term rentals (STRs) and code enforcement after staff said existing unregistered rentals may have slipped through oversight.

Staff reported an initial run from the third‑party service GovOS showed nine confirmed short‑term rentals and seven additional unconfirmed listings in the city. Code-enforcement staff said they have sent multiple letters requesting registration and compliance, but often receive no response; the city can only issue a citation or pursue revocation when it has proof of STR activity. “Catching somebody that is running an STR is difficult because a lot of this is done on the weekends,” a code-enforcement representative said.

Council and staff discussed next steps: generate routine GovOS reports, send formal notices to addresses flagged as possible STRs, and involve police officers to document on-site activity (cars, groups, noise) so the city has evidence to support citations or revocation. Council cited an existing ordinance that allows permit revocation if a permitted property accrues three or more guilty citations or convictions within a six-month period. Staff noted the goal is not to prohibit STRs but to ensure all operators register and meet safety, insurance and parking requirements.

Councilmembers asked staff to finalize procedures for monthly reporting from GovOS and to prepare a template notice to suspected operators. Staff also said they had made an offer to hire additional code-enforcement capacity and would continue targeted enforcement at multifamily and problem properties.