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Council asks legal staff to study whether Tampa can opt into county short-term rental rules
Summary
Following a Hillsborough County motion, council directed legal staff to explore whether Tampa can opt into the county's short-term rental registration/inspection ordinance and report back under staff reports on 08/27/2026; council members cited concerns about unregistered units and neighborhood impacts.
Chair Clendenin moved that city legal staff and others as necessary explore how the City of Tampa could opt into the Hillsborough County short-term rental registration and inspection ordinance, which the county planned to consider on 09/02/2026. The motion requested a written report back under staff reports on 08/27/2026.
Councilmembers said the county motion aims to register and inspect short-term rentals and that Tampa faces a large number of active short-term rentals (council referenced an estimate of approximately 9,000 active short-term rentals in the city and 6,000 investor-owned units). Sponsors framed the county program as a registration/inspection approach intended to monitor safety and the conversion of long-term housing into short-term rentals.
Legal staff and the city attorney noted the draft county ordinance's applicability language appeared to target unincorporated areas and that staff would need to confirm whether an opt-in mechanism exists and the implications for city enforcement and costs. Council approved the request and asked staff to distribute the county draft to councilmembers.
