VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – After a five-month battle, pitting neighbors against each other in many neighborhoods across Volusia County, it came down to a vote Tuesday to continue the county’s ordinance against short-term rental properties.
The Vacation Rental Home Alliance of Volusia, which was fighting to change the short-term ordinance to allow those properties, said there were owners of over 1,600 properties this decision would affect.
Those property owners now have to follow the rule or deal with the county code enforcement cracking down on them.
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The vote by county council was five to two in favor of keeping things as they are.
Those in the crowd against changing it said they want their residential neighborhoods to stay just that and they didn’t want the potential for parties, trash and parking issues.
People are not allowed to rent out their property for under 30 days in unincorporated areas of Volusia — like Bethune Beach, Ormond-by-the-Sea and areas along the St. Johns’ river.
The rule wasn’t being strictly enforced for years though, so people kept buying and investing in the properties to rent out anyways.
At the end of 2020, the county started cracking down on the owners. They argued today that they’ve still been paying tourism taxes to the county despite it being illegal.
They asked to change the ordinance so restrictions could be added to weed out any nuisance rentals and not ban everyone.
The Vacation Rental Home Alliance of Volusia and its supporters said after the vote they plan to file a lawsuit against the county over the decision.