Brickell residents are urging Miami officials to take stronger action against short-term rentals they say violate city rules and disrupt life in residential buildings. At a crowded neighborhood meeting, city and county commissioners pledged to pursue better enforcement and state-level oversight. Residents pointed to The Club at Brickell Bay as a prominent example of the problem.
Key takeaways
The dispute centers on rentals in multifamily buildings that are not authorized to operate as hotels. Residents say enforcement has lagged, while officials are exploring city and state responses.
- Miami generally prohibits stays shorter than 30 days in multifamily condos unless a building is certified as a condo hotel.
- The Club at Brickell Bay has been the subject of city scrutiny after reports that most of its units are rented nightly.
- Miami officials are considering renewed enforcement efforts; a county commissioner is seeking closer cooperation with state regulators.
Residents demand stronger enforcement
At a standing-room-only Brickell Homeowners Association meeting, residents called on the city to act against short-term rentals they consider illegal. Association President Ernesto Cuesta said the neighborhood needs a clear enforcement plan and meaningful consequences for violations.
Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo said he had requested records from city offices to better understand the scale of short-term rentals. He also urged residents experiencing problems to bring them to his office and said he had approval to revive a city task force focused on short-term rentals.
Rules and safety concerns
Miami prohibits rentals of fewer than 30 days in multifamily residential condominiums unless a building meets condo-hotel certification requirements. Those standards include provisions for security, fire safety, accessibility and other accommodations.
Miami-Dade Commissioner Vicki Lopez said she is pressing Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation to investigate illegal vacation rentals and wants stronger coordination between county and state agencies. She and residents raised concerns about building security and residents’ ability to know who is entering their homes.
Former Miami Code Enforcement Board chair Yvonne Bayona also described practical hurdles for inspectors, including being denied access to buildings. Cuesta argued that residents can help provide inspectors entry when they file complaints.
The Club remains under scrutiny
The Miami Herald reported that The Club at Brickell Bay, a 43-story, 643-unit condominium, has been operating in a hotel-like manner, with about 85% of units reportedly rented nightly despite missing required permits and licenses. Following news coverage, Assistant City Manager Barbie Hernandez sent the association a letter on Aug. 11 demanding that unauthorized vacation rentals stop immediately.
The board sought city records and a 90-day period to review them. At a subsequent meeting, it outlined plans for repairs to building amenities and tighter guest monitoring and security. Residents said rentals were continuing, and the city’s demand letter was not discussed at that meeting.