STR's Stories

RESIDENT LETTER 1

City Commissioners: 

January 16, 2023

I am writing to you today to request that while you are considering the new ordinances regarding short term rental businesses (STRs) that you vote for only the most stringent ordinances that we can enact and nothing less.  We need strong options in our tool box for those STR businesses that are causing so many concerning issues in our residential neighborhoods. Any of you that vote for less than the strongest ordinances available are simply voting to give the worst offenders a pass.

I have seen IRB fight for many years over things such as a slightly taller building for a new project in order to keep a certain small town ambiance. Now I turn around and see a destruction of our residential neighborhoods with STRs which is extremely more detrimental.  

I will remind you that these ordinances are to protect “residents” of IRB that have been stripped of their quite peaceful “neighborhoods” based on no decision that they themselves made.  It is not our concern that investors get easy soft ordinances or cheap operating costs to run their business.  It is a complete and utter falsehood that STRs somehow make IRB a better place and somehow they are the main reason for our tourism - as many of these investors will argue.  We all welcome tourist to this beautiful place but simply want their accommodations to be in appropriate areas. These are pure and simple transient mini hotels being operated out of residential houses and they should have to operate under the same ordinances as any hotel would be required.

Without the strongest ordinances in our tool box we will continue to lose long term residents and without actual “residents & neighbors” there is no neighborhood – buildings that look like houses but are transient hotels do not make a neighborhood and community, people (actual residents) make a community and unfortunately we have already lost a large part of that.  I am very concerned as to what IRB will look like in the very near future and we need to halt as much of it as we are capable of.  

I am expecting all of you to look out for the wellbeing of the IRB residents without concern for the profitability and ease of operation for STRs.

Thank you

Harbor Drive South

RESIDENT LETTER 2

Subject: The negative impact Short-Term Rentals are having for my family

My name is Kingston Vickers, and for the last 25+ years I have lived at 320 Harbor Drive here in IRB. I am writing to express my concerns about the lack of action being taken by the city in regards to Airbnb and other short-term rental services. These services have created a dangerous situation in our community, one that has led to a significant decline in quality of life and safety of my children. 

There is a Short Term Rental adjacent to my property at 316 Harbor Drive. I have called the police regarding noise complaints several times. I hope you are keeping record of those police calls into our community.

Please make some effort to understand the impact from just a couple of examples of what life has become for my family. 

One time, I made a request to the strangers that were renting next door to lower their noise. I was met with a series of loud profanities and threats. I truly regret not pressing charges at the time of this incident. 

At different time, with a different set of strangers who were also screaming well into the night, my 5 year old child has asked me, "Why are angry people screaming outside my window?" Please try to make some effort and think about that for a moment. A child worried about his safety as he lays in bed in his home in Indian Rocks Beach. How has this been allowed to happen? 

My wife is a teacher. She goes to bed exhausted some days due to the sounds and party music from the various renters next door. When I’m away in travel she is afraid to complain based on the drunken rage from my previous attempt to quell noise. 

Weekends should be a time to unwind here in our lovely city. That is not my reality. Drunken grown men screaming expletives next door. I have had to run my kids inside by the back door to prevent them from hearing that. 

Again, I am asking you to please consider what it is like as a parent to deny your children use of your own property as a consequence of someone making money by allowing strangers next door. This is Indian Rocks Beach. How has this been allowed to happen? 

The transient nature of Airbnb and other short-term rental services has led to an increase in crime and other safety concerns in our neighborhood. Strangers are constantly coming and going, creating an atmosphere of instability and danger, particularly for my children. 

Simple Google Searches illustrate that these services also have a negative impact on our local economy, as many of these rentals are owned by investors who do not live in the area. Then I ask, how did you, why are you, allowing this to happen in Indian Rocks Beach? 

Prior to Short Term Rentals, I loved living here in IRB. All I am asking you to do is what I perceive to be your job as city officials; protect our city and rid our city of these businesses. 

Please do it before a drunken Airbnb customer, a pedophile, a young kid driving a golf cart etc hurts someone. 

Unless you have sent fingerprints to the FBI and requested a Level 2 review, you have no idea who is staying at these Short Term Rental Businesses.   --  None.

Please do your job and protect our city.

Thank you, 

RESIDENT LETTER 3

On my block- total 11 houses only 4 are annual all year around neighbors. the rest are STR. Need to limit how many house per block can be STR. We are losing our Beach Town.

206 14th Ave- Had STR during New Years week- big big fire pit late in evening, where I could see their flames over our 6 foot fence. and you can hear the drunks playing with the fire. Until I heard someone yell at them at 230am sayingDrunks stop playing with the fire. Yes, I had 2 small grandkids with staying with me. And they kept asking me if we were on fire because my place you could smell smoke and the grandkids seen the flames.

205 15th Ave- ( 2 units) 3 different STR during Christmas and New Year. Owned by IRB Locals- they used to live there and figured out they could make more money renting both places out , while they rent another place on the beach to live. They do drive by and check on their STR guests which is good  .(per Vicki)

Lately, They are acting rude toward me due to these signs and my landlord had one put in our yard and now they have the We love Tourist sign.. So this STR problem is turning neighbors and owners apart – it’s no longer a pleasant beach. These signs We love Tourist say HEY this house is empty making me feel unsafe in late evening. And night walks are out now. 

203 15th Ave- that is a real problem place- When they have STR- it is VAN full of people mostly teenagers
roaming streets late at night. Owned by a company.

201 15th Ave is another problem Big groups (sometimes big groups together with 203)
owned by Baltic Beach Rentals Llc 2234 Grovewood Rd Clearwater Fl 33764  .(per Vicki)

I’m exhausted with the owner of the 18 person party house next door. Although legally 2 addresses but when they bought, they rent as 1. Seems like that in itself is illegal. His is at 2300 1st Street. And I called Cookie on her personal cell because code enforcement has not fined or had owner remove THREE banners on house and fence advertising his property. Beth Howell 1-15-23  2304 1st Street

Via Brenda: 12th Ave. STR guy and gal rented. The guy was beating the hell out of the girl, resident called sheriff and saved this poor girls life. 

I would just like to tell you about my evening last night after leaving the commissioner meeting. There were loud, drunk belligerent people at the STR directly next door to my house. I reluctantly asked them to tone it down..........not once but twice. This did not work, they just got louder. Let’s put this into perspective. You are dealing with strange, drunk people who very well may get confrontational. Had to call the sheriff. Two sheriff vehicles responded within a few minutes. The sheriff was at the house for at least 45 minutes. I called the dispatch number this morning to see what the officer logged on his report. "The officer had to stay at the residence almost an hour to calm down the drunk belligerent transient guest before he was able to leave the house". Just the kind of issue my wife and I (have) to deal with. 

Anthony Tribuzio

427 HDS - during the middle of the night a drunk guy went up the back stair case and started pounding on the windows and door screaming let me in.  This happened to be their master bedroom.  They called the sheriff who showed up, got the man off the balcony and escorted him to his STR down the street. This couple has since sold their home and moved inland.  Very sad.

403 HDN - one night rental, small house, over 100 cars came and left, most staying about 20 minutes.  The neighbors can only surmise this was a drug dealing situation. My friend that lives right around there loaded all of his shotguns, first time he has ever done that since living on IRB for over 25 years.

414 Harbor Dr South I think you already know about the party house at.  That is the house that had guests peeing off the balcony, one drunk guest went to Jim English’s bedroom slider and pounded on the door at 2am.  That is a big part of why he moved. This property has lots of bachelor and bachelorette parties.  The police have been called several times for noise issues. the owner, Lawrence is with an investor group.  He also owns 2 other properties on HDS,

Per Jeff: Bert had a Master BR & 2 other BRs as well as 2 offices when he owned the home.  The home was bought by an Airbnb Superhost (Todd Shearer) who also owns rental homes @ 456 Harbor Dr N & 715 Gulf Blvd (personally or in partnership). Airbnb owner has split Bert's MBR in two & converted the 2 offices into new BRs, totaling 6.   

Two very large(6++ BRs ), newer homes on 20th have been converted to STRs. These, like Bert's rent for $1300/night as of our last check.BTR# 1915 & BTR #2009 @ 455 20th.  

These properties are directly across Bird Island Bay from all of us. The noise/partying has been intolerable as it travels right across the water. We've called the hosts & police as have neighbors we know on 20th multiple times.  There seems to be no screening by hosts or instructions to guests about respect of neighbors given sound amplification over water, etc. It is these 5/6+ bedroom massive homes, advertised to accommodate 15- 20+/- guests that has marked the tipping point for many of us who had made an effort over the years to be patient/respectful of STRs.

As you may or may not know, we also have a STR next to us.  Our stories are not unlike those from other IRB residents in the neighborhood.  My "horror" story happened awhile back.  We had company and we were sitting at our patio table in our backyard when all of a sudden the wife let out an 'Oh!" and looked quite alarmed.  When asked what was wrong, she informed us that she had just seen a naked man out on the dock next door.  

Another time, one of their "guests" approached me to ask how much extra it would cost to rent our boat.  He thought maybe it "came with their house."  I think he thought all the houses in our neighborhood were rentals. 

Another memorable episode was the time a group of very loud folks played their favorite intense booming music (from their homeland) all weekend. The worst part was that they brought with them two very loud souped-up wave runners and ran them all day long---from early morning until after dark.  Our windows rattled.  That was not a good weekend for us.   When the goings-on in an STR limits planned outside (or even inside) activities of surrounding neighbors, there's a problem.  Something's wrong.

We are not usually complainers.  We are both in our mid-seventies and have lived in IRB for close to 40 years. We worked very hard in order to buy our little house on the water in IRB.  Our home-on-the-water was our lifetime goal.  We plan on staying there until we're 100--maybe more!  

So there you have it!   We are concerned about our future and the future of our IRB community .  We miss our neighbors who felt it necessary to sell and move away.  

MORE RESIDENT LETTERS TO COME

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – A man died after a shooting Thursday evening at a home in a typically quiet Jacksonville Beach neighborhood, authorities said.

Officers said they were called just before 11:10 p.m. to a report of a person shot at a residence on Ocean Pond Court where the occupants of the short-term rental were holding a party.

When police arrived, they said, they found a man with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died, police said.

News4JAX on Friday spoke with a witness, who said that the home where the shooting happened is an Airbnb and that 11 people were at a birthday party for the victim when the gunfire rang out.

She recounted that a fight broke out and that she heard gunshots and fell to the floor in fear. She said she would’ve never expected this to happen at a birthday party.

The witness said the victim was turning 32 years old and was a retired military veteran. The witness couldn’t confirm his name.

Now, Jacksonville Beach residents are asking officials to clamp down on short-term vacation rentals and to limit the amount of rental homes in their respective neighborhoods. According to some, the constant coming and going of guests negatively impacts the safety and liveability of Jacksonville Beach. 

Residents from The Villages, Plantation, Neptune Beach, Escambia County, and Walton County (just to name a few) have recently demanded action from policymakers as their quiet neighborhoods have been overrun by unlawful nightly rentals.

https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2022/08/26/detectives-investigating-deadly-shooting-at-jacksonville-beach-home/