HOLMES BEACH – Mayor Judy Titsworth wants vacation rentals in her city to remain on hold at least through April 30.
On April 7, Titsworth issued an executive order requiring all vacation rental owners and managers to stop taking new reservations and to cease check-ins until Gov. Ron DeSantis lifts the state-wide stay at home order. The governor’s order is currently set to expire on April 30.
Titsworth’s order is in response to coronavirus concerns and in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. As of April 9, Holmes Beach had one confirmed case of COVID-19, the only case so far on Anna Maria Island.
In Titsworth’s April 8 daily status of the city report related to COVID-19, she said that the city’s vacation rental management companies informed city hall staff that there are many rental check-ins scheduled for the weekend of April 10-12.
In an April 9 discussion with The Sun, Titsworth said she spoke with several rental agency representatives who are expecting check-ins this weekend and needed help to cancel the reservations. By issuing the order, she said it gives the rental agencies the ability to cancel upcoming reservations. Titsworth added that all of the vacation rental managers she’s spoken with are on board with not allowing vacation rentals through the end of the month.
DeSantis issued an order March 27 stopping new vacation rentals in Florida for 14 days. Those 14 days expire on April 10. Titsworth said that during an April 8 policy group conference call with the leaders of neighboring municipalities and Manatee County that it was decided to ask county leaders to reach out to the governor’s office to see if the order stopping vacation rentals could be extended to match the length of the stay at home order.
If the order is not extended, Titsworth has instructed city attorney Patricia Petruff to draft an emergency directive prohibiting any check-ins at vacation rentals and any advertising of residential vacation rental properties until May 1.
Police and code compliance officers are enforcing the city’s no new check-in mandate for vacation rentals.
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