Pinellas County considers noise ordinance updates

SEMINOLE, Fla. — The Pinellas County Board of Commissioners is preparing to hold a public hearing on updating its noise ordinance after residents complained that short-term rentals are creating disruptions in neighborhoods.

In Seminole, Hillary Simpson says she has short-term rentals on both sides of her home. She is building a pool house, which she calls the “hurricane hideaway,” to block the noise coming from a neighboring property.

“It was definitely not something that we thought we would ever have to invest in,” she said.

Simpson said the problems began in 2023, when the home next door became a short-term rental. Since then, she describes loud parties, yelling, and music lasting into the early morning hours.

“We deal with a lot of excess noise, a lot of excess noise that’s not appropriate for young children,” she said.

She reported the issue to police, to the renters, and to the company that owns the property, but said nothing has changed.

“It broke our neighborhood feeling. I felt like I was living next to a hotel in downtown St. Pete. But even worse is there was no accountability,” Simpson said.

She said other homes nearby have also been turned into rentals, changing the character of the area.

The county has made changes to its short-term rental ordinance, setting a maximum occupancy of 10 people, requiring quiet hours starting at 10 p.m., and creating a hotline for noise complaints.

Commissioner Kathleen Peters said she wants more accountability from property owners.

“I would like to see the owner of the vacation rentals be responsible,” Peters said. “If they could be responsible, just like any other resort, that would make a big difference.”

For Simpson, it comes down to fairness.

“I’m going to be held accountable if there’s something that I’m doing that is not in line with community standards. And I want to see the same accountability for the person that’s less accessible,” she said.