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Largo staff proposes registration, annual inspections and $500'$600 fee for short-term rentals
Summary
City staff told the Largo commission it will draft ordinance changes to require registration, inspections, a potential $500'$600 registration fee (plus a $100 fire inspection), and an enforcement path using enhanced chronic-nuisance penalties; staff proposed a phased rollout in 2027 and dedicated enforcement staff paid largely by fees.
City staff presented a package of proposed changes for short-term vacation rentals at the Largo City Commission's May 12 work session, asking commissioners for direction to draft an ordinance that would create a formal registration process, annual inspections and new enforcement tools to target repeat nuisance properties.
"We've conducted over 550 inspections since 2019," the presenter said, explaining Community Standards and fire data and why staff is recommending a registration-and-inspection model. Fire staff added that since July 2020 the department has inspected 329 short-term properties for a total of 729 inspections, and that common issues include missing or faulty fire extinguishers, smoke alarms and non-compliant means of egress.
Staff described three main policy building blocks: a registration system to capture operator contact information; annual community-standards inspections plus fire high-hazard reinspections; and an enhanced chronic-nuisance enforcement pathway with larger fines and suspension mechanics for repeat offenders. The presentation also noted legal constraints: a 2011 state preemption limits how local governments can regulate the duration and frequency of rentals and Senate Bill 180 restricts imposing land-development rules that could be interpreted as "more burdensome."
To staff's estimate, the number of operating short-term rental listings varies by data source; vendor demos suggested 600'800 listings while other analytics platforms suggested up to 1,000'1,200. Staff proposed staffing the program with an administrator, two code officers and a dedicated fire inspector and buying listing-monitoring software (estimated $35,000'$45,000 annually). To make the program cost-neutral, staff proposed a $500'$600 registration fee and noted the fire high-hazard inspection fee of $100; staff also suggested a discounted fee for owner-occupied or homesteaded properties.
Commissioners debated the fee level and sequencing of inspections. Several favored a tiered or discounted approach for homesteaded properties and suggested phasing inspections so staff could manage an initial registration surge; one commissioner recommended splitting a large unfunded package into three smaller packages to allow incremental action. Commissioners also asked staff to be careful to craft enforceable language narrowly tailored to nuisance issues (trash, noise, illegal construction) rather than measures that would likely be overturned under state preemption.
Staff proposed a schedule: draft ordinance language for commission consideration in September, aim to roll out program processes in the new fiscal year and plan a formal program launch early in calendar-year 2027, with staffing scaled to registration volume. Staff also advised the commission that if it wants earlier enforcement capacity, a midyear budget amendment to add personnel could be considered.
The commission did not adopt an ordinance at the work session; commissioners gave staff direction to draft enforceable language and return in coming months with a formal proposal.
