Cocoa Beach thinking about raising fees for vacation rentals due to worries from locals

The City of Cocoa Beach in Florida is looking at the possibility of raising fees for short-term rental properties due to a rise in complaints from residents regarding noise, parking problems, and other disruptions.

At a city commission meeting held on Thursday, members were scheduled to deliberate on increasing the application and registration fees for single-family homes being used as short-term rentals from around $500 to $2,500.

According to City Manager Wayne Carragino, the extra funds generated would be used to support fire and police services, code enforcement, and other municipal resources that are under pressure because of these rental properties.

“Some of the problems are party houses, noise, jumping off roofs, and parking issues,” Carragino said.

He added that short-term rentals — which number about 200 within city limits — operate like businesses in residential neighborhoods, impacting the community.

While some property owners oppose the proposed fee increase, arguing that responsible landlords should not be penalized for the actions of a few, Carragino said the city must apply regulations equally.

“Just like anyone else in the city, you come in and open a bar, open a beauty salon, you open up a pizza parlor—you are running a business. There is no difference. They are running a business. In the middle of our residential areas,” Carragino said.

The commission ultimately decided to postpone the discussion until Feb. 20, when officials will review a detailed expense report on how the additional revenue would be allocated.