The West Manatee Fire Rescue District’s plans for a vacation rental inspection program are coming into focus.
WMFR fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski presented the district’s plans for the program March 28 to Holmes Beach city commissioners.
The inspection program will begin Oct. 1, the start of WMFR’s fiscal 2023-24, for all vacation rentals in the district.
The district includes Anna Maria Island, Cortez and much of west Bradenton.
Current fire assessment rates include a $211.48 residential base rate and a $0.1247 additional charge for every square foot more than 1,000, and a $525.59 commercial base rate with a $0.2276 additional charge per square foot more than 1,000.
Currently, the owner of a 2,000-square-foot vacation rental property pays $336.18 under the residential rate.
So a 2,000-square-foot vacation rental then would pay $753.19 under the commercial rate, if the assessment remains the same.
Under WMFR’s plan, property with a transient public lodging establishment license from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation will be assessed at WMFR’s commercial rate after Oct. 1.
Kwiatkowski said he hopes the inspection program will improve safety in vacation rentals, which have been the site of eight out of 11, or 73%, of the island’s structure fires since 2020.
He said all three child drownings or near-drownings at single-family homes in 2022 in the district occurred at island vacation rental properties.
Kwiatkowski told The Islander April 3 that he’s spoken with Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy about the district’s vacation rental inspection plans but did not yet have presentations in Anna Maria or Bradenton Beach scheduled.
WMFR is seeking a new fire inspector and administrative assistant to inspect the district’s more than 3,000 vacation units.
Holmes Beach Commissioner Terry Schaefer asked Kwiatkowski if Senate Bill 714, filed by Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-St. Petersburg, would impact WMFR’s plans if passed.
SB 714 would preempt licensing and inspections of vacation rental properties to the state, as well as prohibit municipalities from regulating the duration or frequency of rental activities — unless such regulations were adopted before June 1, 2011.
Kwiatkowski said the WMFR attorneys did not believe the legislation would impact its plans since fire districts are mandated by the state to uphold standards for fire safety at transient public lodging establishments.
There was no public comment.
The WMFR commission meets next at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, at the district headquarters, 701 63rd St. W., Bradenton.
Directions to attend via Zoom can be found at wmfr.org.
Holmes Beach commissioners will meet next at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive.
Directions to attend via Zoom can be found at holmesbeachfl.org.