Renting Your Bradenton Home On Airbnb? Now, You Need To Register With The City

BRADENTON, FL — A new licensing program for Bradenton property owners who rent their homes for short-term stays through online platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo was approved by city councilors Wednesday.

Now, these owners will be required to register their properties as a vacation rental with the city of Bradenton.

In recent weeks, commissioners have discussed the fate of short-term rentals in Bradenton. The city has received complaints from residents about issues with noisy or rowdy vacationers.

“Vacationing occupants of vacation rentals tend to act more freely away from their normal daily home and work routine, which can lead to excessive, intrusive, raucous or rowdy behavior disturbing the nearby residents' right to the quiet and peaceful enjoyment of their homes,” the ordinance reads.

The new law will regulate these rentals and address the complaints the city has received about them.

In addition to establishing a mandatory annual registration system, the new law also sets maximum occupancy limits for the properties, requires city inspections and mandates owners to designate an individual who will be responsible for the rental, among other rules, according to the ordinance.

Property owners must apply for registration by Aug. 1 and receive their certificate of registration by Jan. 1. After this, they’ll need to reregister each year by Aug. 1.

Once an application for registration is submitted with the city, the property will be inspected to assure that it complies with Florida Building Code, Florida Fire Prevention Code, the city’s Code of Ordinances and the International Property Maintenance Code.

The new law limits occupancy to two people per bedroom plus two addition people or one person per 150 square feet with a maximum of 12 people for any rental.

Since the law was first introduced at the Jan. 12 city council meeting, three changes were made to the ordinance before it was approved, Jeannie Roberts, communications coordinator said.

The original version of the law would have required property owners to have a landline telephone in the home and to keep a two-year list of every renter. The ordinance also now allows property owners to submit photos in lieu of sketches of the property when registering it, she said.