🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Fort Myers Beach, FL
Tech Meets the Beach: Fort Myers Cracks Down on STR Rule-Breaker
A Deep Dive into Your Area’s STR Updates—Helping You Navigate the Ever-Changing Rental Landscape.
Tech Meets the Beach: Fort Myers Cracks Down on STR Rule-Breaker
Fort Myers Beach is tightening the reins on short-term rentals with a high-tech twist. The town just rolled out a new software system called Rentalscape, designed to streamline enforcement of local STR regulations and bring some long-needed order to a patchwork rental setup that’s evolved over decades.
In the past, keeping track of STR violations was mostly manual. Town staff had to sift through Airbnb and VRBO listings or respond to neighbor complaints called into a hotline. But with Rentalscape now online, the town is stepping into the digital age—and bringing rental oversight in-house.
💡 Here’s how it works: the software automatically flags rentals that break local rules and immediately alerts town staff. Then, it sends a violation notice straight to the property owner. No middleman, no delay. And for owners, it's a double-edged benefit—it also helps ensure that rental agents or property managers aren’t booking units under the radar.
The rules are clear—but quirky: monthly zones can only rent once per month, even if it’s just a week-long stay. Weekly zones? They can rent once a week. So if someone books just three days, that unit has to sit empty the rest of the week—or risk a code violation.
Town leaders hope Rentalscape will ✅simplify enforcement, ✅improve emergency response coordination, and ✅boost confidence among residents and STR owners alike. Even big players in the rental market are on board. Brock Buchanan of Coastal Vacation Properties praised the move, calling it a –
“step toward responsible growth and a way to ensure transparency.
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