Hillsborough County commissioners took a first step this week toward a new layer of government oversight for short-term vacation rentals, advancing a draft ordinance that would require owners to register with the county, pay a $200 fee, and designate a 24-hour on-call representative for their property.

The county has more than 3,000 short-term vacation rentals, and until now, none of them have been subject to county-specific rules. Commissioner Harry Cohen, who brought the proposal forward, noted that state regulations already apply to these properties even without the new local layer of red tape.

Cohen said he acted after hearing complaints from residents in the Baycrest neighborhood, where locals say short-term rentals have multiplied and brought disruptive behavior with them. Under the draft ordinance, owners who miss a scheduled inspection would face an additional $50 charge. County officials project the registration fee alone would pull in $600,000 a year for government coffers.

“I think this ordinance is a great first step,” Cohen said, framing the new fee structure as a modest opening move rather than a final solution.

County code enforcement and the sheriff’s office argue the registration system will give them a clearer paper trail for properties with recurring problems. “Our code enforcement and sheriff’s office representatives feel that this will be a very effective way to have accountability at a house where things are going on beyond the scope of a short-term rental,” Cohen said.

Not everyone thinks the ordinance goes far enough — several Baycrest residents want the county to go further still. Samantha Freeland, a 14-year resident of the neighborhood, said short-term rentals in the area have jumped from 96 in January to 121 just seven months later, and described problems like intoxicated renters climbing into neighbors’ yards. Fellow resident Mark Kiddo wants mandatory pre-registration safety inspections, escalating fines, and a system for pulling a property’s registration entirely after repeated violations.

Cohen has signaled he’s open to tightening the rules down the line, calling the current draft a “framework” that can be adjusted once the county sees how it functions in practice. He’s expected to meet with Baycrest residents later this month before commissioners hold a public hearing on the ordinance September 2. If approved, the new fees and registration requirements would take effect January 1.

Whether this ends up as a light-touch registry aimed at genuine bad actors, or the first rung of a ladder toward heavier restrictions on what property owners can do with their own homes, will likely depend on what commissioners hear between now and the September hearing.

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