Imagine having a 24/7 bachelor party as your next-door neighbor—every day of the year.  

For one Pinellas County homeowner, that’s exactly what life has felt like since a neighboring house was converted into a short-term rental. Now, she fears that proposed county changes could make things even worse.  

“There’s no sense of community. No neighborly respect,” resident Hillary Simpson told WTVT.  

Her backyard is decorated with trespassing notices—an unfortunate necessity after catching a man on camera jumping over her fence, only to be chased away by her dogs.  

“It’s unsettling because I don’t know who’s staying next door. There’s no background check,” she said.  

Simpson, who grew up in Seminole, thought she had found her forever home in unincorporated Pinellas County, where she and her husband are raising two young children. But just over a year ago, a nearby home was sold and turned into a short-term rental.  

“It’s been a nightmare. We’ve considered moving multiple times,” Simpson admitted. “That’s a hard decision when you’ve bought a home thinking you’ll spend most of your life in it.”  

Since then, she’s endured a revolving door of rowdy bachelor parties, drug use, loud music at all hours, trespassers, and even threats from renters. She’s lost count of the times she’s had to call 911.  

“Renters were actually harassing us on my son’s birthday,” she recalled. “And there are no consequences for any of it.”  

Now, Pinellas County is considering changes to rental codes, including removing the current 10-person occupancy cap. Under the new rules, children under 12 wouldn’t count toward occupancy limits—meaning the seven-bedroom home next to Simpson’s could legally host at least 16 to 18 adults.  

Additionally, quiet hours would shift from 10 p.m.–9 a.m. to 11 p.m.–7 a.m., effectively allowing louder gatherings earlier in the evening and later in the morning.  

“So, theoretically, people could rent a short-term rental for a daytime party with an unlimited number of guests, and that wouldn’t be an enforceable violation,” Simpson explained.  

In response, the Simpsons have hired attorney Charles Gallagher.  

“The idea of removing occupancy limits or cutting back on quiet hours—it just doesn’t make sense if the goal is to protect taxpaying residents,” Gallagher told WTVT.  

One potential upside to the proposed changes? The county plans to establish 24/7 code enforcement to address these ongoing issues.  

In the meantime, the Simpsons are constructing a concrete block wall to regain some privacy and dampen the noise. Their neighborhood has so many short-term rentals that other homeowners have posted signs reading, “Don’t Motel My Neighborhood,” as they call on the county for relief.  

“We have seven people voting on a decision that will significantly impact a lot of families,” Simpson said.  

Short-term rental companies argue that they’re simply running a business and that tourists are enjoying their vacations in Florida.  

The county is set to discuss the proposed ordinance changes at a meeting next Tuesday. 

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(Image credit: WTVT)

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