Pinellas County planning board backs ordinance to create certificate-of-use program for short-term rentals

The Local Planning Agency (LPA) for Pinellas County unanimously recommended approval of LDR 24‑04, a proposed amendment to Chapter 138 of the Land Development Code that would create a mandatory certificate-of-use program for short‑term rentals in unincorporated Pinellas County.

The recommendation, made at the LPA’s January meeting, directs that the ordinance be transmitted to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners for two public hearings currently scheduled for Feb. 25 and March 25, 2025. The board will make the final decision at those hearings.

The ordinance package updates definitions, removes regulation of individual rooms in owner‑occupied homes to align with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), ties minimum occupancy to bedroom count and one common space, excludes children under 12 from occupancy calculations, requires life‑safety standards consistent with the Florida Building Code, and establishes an inspection cadence and enforcement framework supported by third‑party software.

Planning staff presented the ordinance and described the certificate‑of‑use program as the central element. “This…