CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Cape Coral council members have abandoned a proposal that would have dramatically increased registration fees for rental property owners after significant community opposition. However, a stakeholders group is forming instead.
Hear the discussion below:
The proposal would have raised rental property registration fees from $35 to $600, representing a more than 1,600% increase.
At Wednesday's Committee of the Whole meeting, a large crowd turned out with many raising their hands in opposition to the fee hike.
"This ordinance the way it's written, the way it's enforced, could hurt a regular working class family who's trying to put their kids in bed at night, trying to feed their kids dinner, they don't know their landlord, homeowner, isn't in compliance. How are they supposed to know that?" Kevin Besserer said.
Besserer, representing the Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association, also expressed concerns about enforcement provisions in the ordinance.
"This is a violation of the 4th amendment and puts police officers in a lot of danger especially in a stand your ground state," Besserer said.
Some opponents worried that the ordinance would allow police to remove tenants from homes if landlords failed to pay registration fees.
The City Attorney defended the constitutionality of the measure, stating that enforcement would only occur after proper legal procedures.
"That means when law enforcement goes out there and enforces that order they have the ability to ensure compliance," said Aleksandr Boksner, City Attorney.
Many attendees argued the city should focus on enforcing existing rules for short-term rentals rather than implementing steep fee increases.
Airbnb provided a statement opposing the increase:
"Many short-term rental hosts in Cape Coral and across the state rely on hosting to offset rising insurance and housing costs. A more than 1,600% spike in annual fees would impose a heavy burden on local hosts, while making travel and tourism unaffordable in the City."
Council member Keith Long, who originally proposed the ordinance, ultimately withdrew it. However, council member Jennifer Lastra suggested creating a stakeholders group with community members to further discuss the issue.
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