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Vero Beach council adopts ordinance banning camping on private property without permission
Summary
Council enacted an ordinance creating Chapter 50, Section 50-1 to prohibit camping on private property; the measure passed unanimously after council discussion clarifying exceptions for youth backyard camping.
The Vero Beach City Council on Wednesday approved an ordinance creating Chapter 50, Section 50-1 to prohibit camping on private property within city limits.
Vote: The ordinance passed on roll call 5–0.
What the ordinance says City staff explained the ordinance targets camping on private residential property, rather than casual pedestrian activity or panhandling, and explicitly exempts customary backyard youth camping (for example, children camping in their family’s yard). The ordinance is limited to private property; activities such as sitting under a tree or panhandling remain covered under separate code provisions.
Council discussion Council members described the change as long overdue, saying the tightened language was intended to give code enforcement “some teeth” to address ongoing incidents of people camping on residential properties without permission.
Implementation Staff said the ordinance focuses on enforcement of camping on private property and that other issues (panhandling, sitting in public rights-of-way) remain enforceable under other ordinances. No public comment was recorded during the hearing on the ordinance.
Speakers and attributions in this article come from the meeting transcript and are limited to named council members and staff who spoke on the item.
