A few months ago there were just a few illegal rentals to be found. A recent check found well over a half dozen, offering rentals for as little as 1 night and accommodating up to 14 guests. Property locations include 16th St, 19th St, Hibiscus Dr, Gulf Blvd, 9th St (right around the corner from city hall!), Wedgewood Dr. and others.
The advertisements try to conceal the actual locations of the homes. Some of the homes are being offered by real estate agents who do not disclose that they are a licensee, which is also illegal. In one case the agent is not just the agent, but the property owner. The illegal rentals are usually found out by concerned neighbors who observe multiple unknown vehicles frequently coming and going, along with noise, trash and other unusual activity. Being a residential community, these things do not get ignored and residents are becoming outraged at neighboring homes being turned into a flop houses. Shifty landlords probably aren’t real sticklers for identification, background checks, etc. They are probably not collecting and reporting the state sales tax which is due on all rentals of less than 7 months.
Single family homes must be leased for a minimum of 90 days and must be registered with the city each year as a rental property. If you suspect a property owner is in violation you can contact the Belleair Beach code enforcement officer at 595.4646 ext. 133.