Manatee County commissioners are weighing a $237,000 complaint-tracking system and 90-day rental suspensions to crack down on problem short-term rentals. The proposals emerged from a packed workshop on Wednesday, Sept. 2, in Bradenton.

The special meeting drew residents frustrated by party houses and rental owners worried about losing their livelihoods. Unincorporated Manatee County has no short-term-rental ordinance on the books. Hosts answer only to general noise and property-maintenance codes, a gap that affects neighborhoods across Lakewood Ranch.

Ordinance timeline: from June draft to a possible September vote

Commissioner Bob McCann introduced a draft ordinance at the June 16 commission meeting. The board voted unanimously to send it to staff for revisions, with Commissioner Jason Bearden absent. A revised draft returned July 7, and commissioners are aiming to bring it to a vote sometime in September.

Residents want real consequences for problem hosts

Martha Jane Flynn, a senior board member of the Pine Meadow Homeowners Association in Northwest Bradenton, told commissioners the neighborhood needs rental operators held accountable.

"We really need the threat of the rental shut down if they don't comply," Flynn said.

Flynn said the Manatee County Sheriff's Office has stepped up enforcement over the past 30 to 60 days, shutting down noise complaints on the first call. In a prior Fox 13 Tampa Bay report cited by the Bradenton Journal in July, Flynn described weekends with as many as 30 people on a single rental property.

County staff lay out complaint system, registration options

County staff outlined several paths, according to WWSB. A third-party complaint clearinghouse through Granicus would cost more than $237,000 to install and more than $200,000 per year to run. The system would file complaints on behalf of residents and shield their identities under Florida's public-records laws.

Other options include hiring more code-enforcement officers to monitor noise overnight, requiring registration of each rental property and adjusting existing noise or trash ordinances. Stephanie Charles, Manatee County Development Services deputy director, said a new ordinance could add restrictions that apply only to short-term rentals.

Commissioners said they want to hold off on a dedicated complaint hotline. They cited concern that it could generate a flood of bad-faith complaints targeting rental properties regardless of actual violations.

Owners warn suspensions could cost them their livelihoods

Short-term rental owners at the workshop argued that a 90-day suspension or 12-month revocation could be financially devastating, especially for operators already following the rules.

Commissioner George Kruse said roughly 90% of short-term rentals in the area operate within current rules. The county is crafting solutions for the remaining 10%, he said.

"We need to be able to put things in place that take care of the bad actors while respectfully handling the people who are doing the right thing with their private property," Kruse said at the workshop.

Kruse also noted that short-term rentals support local tourism, restaurants, shops, cleaners, contractors and property managers across the county.

State law limits how far the county can go

Florida Statute 509.032(7)(b) has prohibited cities and counties from banning vacation rentals or limiting rental frequency since 2011. A new state law, Chapter 2025-113, took effect July 1, 2025, and redefined a transient rental as a stay under 30 consecutive days occurring more than three times in a calendar year.

Until the county adopts its own ordinance, hosts in unincorporated areas are governed by state law alone.

No specific vote date has been announced. Commissioners have said they expect to bring the ordinance back for a vote sometime in September.