A repeat violation resulted in a hefty fine for one Holmes Beach vacation rental owner.
Special magistrate Michael Connolly found Water’s Place Properties, owner of property at 211 67th St., in repeat violation of city code May 23 by advertising and renting two vacation units at the site for less than seven days.
The property is in the city’s R-2 zone, the city’s two-family residential district, which runs through the center of the municipality from its northern border with Anna Maria to the north side of Manatee Avenue.
City code requires short-term rentals of no less than seven consecutive days in the R-2 zone.
Code compliance supervisor JT Thomas said the city first cited the property owner for an improper length of stay in April 2020, when a three-night stay was booked at one of the units.
The city again cited the property owner in October 2022, when it was advertising for three-night minimum stays at the property.
Thomas said in April the city found advertisements for four-night minimum stays at the property using Harmari, a program that monitors short-term rental postings.
Allen Snyder, title manager of Water’s Place Properties LLC, attended the May 23 hearing and challenged the city’s claims.
He said advertisements for the vacation units specifically stated there was a seven-night minimum reservation and that potential renters wouldn’t be able to book shorter stays.
“I challenge anybody here to try to rent my place for less than seven days. It cannot be done,” Snyder said.
Code compliance administrator Kim Charron said the city had already done that and found it could book the property for as few as four days.
Snyder argued that he disabled instant bookings on Airbnb, so any booking requests would go to him for confirmation and he wouldn’t accept stays of less than seven days.
“That’s merely a sales tactic,” he said. “I have no intention of booking someone for less than seven days.”
City attorney Erica Augello said the property owner repeatedly violated city code and requested Connolly issue a $500 daily fine, running from April 13 until the property complies with code, and a $127.24 administrative fee.
Connolly said he found “overwhelming evidence” against Water’s Place Properties LLC and said it was trying to “game the system.” He approved the city’s requested fines and fees.
The city’s next special magistrate hearing will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 27, at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive.