Letters to the Editor

+ More regulations for renters is sensible
Dear Editor:
In response to your article on short-term rentals, I offer the following. I live in a single-family district in the village area and have had several noxious neighbors wake me up in the middle of the night. Some were short-term renters, some 30-day renters and some annual renters who partied late into the night with an open fire that wafted smoke into my windows.

The problem was not isolated to short-term renters. I’ve met some nice families who were short-term renters, became friendly and have now made Sarasota their home. In fact, there are some long-term renters who are a greater nuisance.

So, do I call zoning and ask them to enforce broad-brush property rights restrictions? No. Do I blame the landlords? Yes, somewhat, in their shared responsibility with their rude tenant. My point is we have laws against disturbing the peace and limiting the number of unrelated persons per household, and if we enforce those laws, all that is needed is a non-emergency call to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office to send a deputy to the door and some effort on the part of the landlords to restrict spring-breakers and late-night parties outdoors.

When visiting the Florida Keys, I stayed on Key Colony Beach, a large single-family neighborhood with both annual owner occupants and weekly renters. I spoke to the neighbors and stopped by city hall to ask some questions and found they enforce the number of occupants. Also, the landlords and rental agencies will not rent to the young, rowdy crowds. In fact, the notice at the residence had a list of rules for vacationers, including no loud parties after 10 p.m. The city, landlords and residents all benefited from the revenue and boost to the local economy. None of the residents had a problem with the weekly renters, which helped fund their golf course, fishing pier, beach, tennis and bocci courts.

Moreover, the article has the ordinance language quoted as “not more than one rental in a 30-day period,” which, if correct, means that it can only be rented once in a 30-day period with no mention of minimum lease period. Where some may see an opportunity to close the door to newcomers, further restrict property rights and put some out of business, I see an opportunity here for an economic boost in tough times.
Bob Stahlschmidt
Siesta Key