CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A Cape Coral property advertised on Airbnb as accommodating 16 or more people continues to frustrate neighbors despite a recent code enforcement hearing.
Hear what neighbors say about the decision:
The property, which neighbors have been monitoring for months, was found in violation of Cape Coral's minimum six-night stay requirement for short-term rentals.
"It's a nightmare. It's like the people going in and out. It's like a revolving door over there," said Jeff Manzi, who lives next door to the property.
Manzi and his neighbor Terri Serio have documented their concerns about the rental property they once described as a "frat house" due to the large number of guests and frequent turnover.
After months of calling code enforcement and police, the neighbors finally had their case heard before a special magistrate. The homeowner did not attend Thursday's hearing.
While the magistrate found the homeowner guilty of violating the city's short-term rental ordinance, no fines were issued because the property was deemed in compliance as of the day before the hearing. The Airbnb listing now shows it doesn't allow stays shorter than the city's minimum requirement.
Serio disputes this finding based on their ongoing observations.
"We both live right next door, and we know it's never been rented for more than two or three days," Serio said.
The ruling means that if the property owner is caught allowing stays shorter than six nights again, penalties would be more severe. However, neighbors say this outcome isn't sufficient.
"They're thumbing their nose at Council, the law here in Cape Coral, and you know, something needs to be done," Manzi said.
The neighbors are advocating for the city council to move forward with a proposal discussed at last month's Committee of the Whole meeting that would raise the rental registration fee from $35 to $600.
"These fines would add up to a lot of money, they could hire more code people, more vehicles to keep people in compliance, and we need to get something done. Council has to do something as well," Manzi said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
