🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Jacksonville Beach, FL
Vacation Rentals Flood Jacksonville Beach, Locals Demand Action
A Deep Dive into Your Area’s STR Updates — Helping You Navigate the Ever-Changing Rental Landscape.
Vacation Rentals Flood Jacksonville Beach, Locals Demand Action
What happens when a neighborhood becomes a vacation destination? Jacksonville Beach residents say they’re living the answer — and it’s not pretty.
With over 500 short-term rentals on Airbnb and counting, longtime locals are calling for change. Complaints about rowdy guests, loud parties, drug use, and even a fatal incident linked to a nearby rental have galvanized a group of residents demanding local regulation.
“This has become a revolving door of people who treat our neighborhood like a party zone,” said resident Ashley Kelm. “They’re not here to live — they’re here to cut loose.”
Local leaders have acknowledged the situation but say the state has tied their hands. In 2023, Governor DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have provided statewide STR oversight, leaving cities like Jacksonville Beach in limbo. While the city does require applications, inspections, and sets occupancy limits, enforcement appears spotty at best.
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Mayor Christine Hoffman insists that the city is doing what it can and encourages residents to file formal complaints. But residents aren’t buying it. They point to Tampa and St. Petersburg, where tougher regulations — including minimum rental periods — are keeping STRs in check. For many, the biggest concern is zoning abuse.
“If I can’t build a gas station on my property, why can someone run a revolving Airbnb right next to me?” Kelm asked. “This is commercial use in a residential zone — plain and simple.”
Locals want Jacksonville Beach to step up and use its code enforcement powers to limit or even ban STRs in residential neighborhoods. They argue that unchecked growth of vacation rentals is pushing out permanent residents and threatening the safety, value, and identity of the community.
As cities across Florida weigh how to balance tourism with livability, Jacksonville Beach now finds itself at a crossroads. The next move, residents say, is up to city hall.
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