Florida Woman Is At War With Illegal St. Pete Airbnb’s

Usually, when residents hear that new businesses are coming to their city, they are happy about the news. Not only does that bring in money, but as the number of new businesses grows so does their economic contributions. However, that is not the case for St. Petersburg and short-term rentals. More specifically, this is not the case for Marley Price. This Florida local has a big problem with St. Pete Airbnb's.

Did you know there were zoning regulations against short-term rentals in St. Petersburg? Me neither! According to Amy Foster, a St. Petersburg City Council Member, rental terms shorter than 30 days are allowed only up to three times within 365 days. On top of that, the city is struggling with a housing crisis. Therefore, sites like Airbnb and VRBO are seen as threats to the housing market. Even though these regulations exist, they are not really enforced unless there are complaints. That's where Marley Price comes in. Marley has single-handedly waged war against Airbnb's.

Just to show you how serious she is, Marley Price has flagged more than 100 homes she claims are operating as illegal short-term rentals since late February. She has gained a lot of support in the process too. Her posts on social media now reach more than a million people admiring her bravery. People love her for a couple of reasons, but the main one is the fact that people know these regulations don't get enforced unless someone makes the city aware of them. There are even Reddit groups that you can join to help their fight against illegal rentals.

According to Axios, St. Petersburg has received 1,012 complaints and issued 775 violations since the city launched a short-term rental tracking system in 2016. Price has accounted for 131 properties and 105 have received violations alone. See, not all heroes wear capes, sometimes they are armed with SeeClickFix.com.

Even though Price is hailed as a hero, she wants to see more action from the city and not have the responsibility fall on her. The topic has been brought up for debate in Tallahassee for years about how to regulate vacation homes, but there has been no resolution.

Do you think vacation rentals should be allowed?

Source: Axios

Overall, St Pete is a great place to live or visit. Depending on who you ask, they might say it's even better than across the bridge in Tampa. Even though St. Pete has tons of nightlife, attractions, great restaurants, and breweries, some think it's missing some key elements. We dove down a Reddit thread and found 5 things residents say that are missing from St. Pete.

The Sunshine City was recently named a trending travel destination by Trip Advisor. It ranked #2 in spots to travel for 2024. St. Pete is known to average over 300 days of sunshine, so there's always an opportunity to explore, except it's missing a vital element to allow residents and tourists to move around easily. Public transport is a big issue and wants in the Tampa Bay area. The only options you have in St. Pete are the PSTA busses and Sun Runner.

Like we said, there's lots to love about St. Pete. One of the best things about the city is its easy beach access. Instead of dealing with crowded beaches and tourist nonsense, you can opt for a more local-friendly spot like Pass-a-Grille or Indian Rocks Beach. It's the same gorgeous views, but less hassle. Another thing St. Pete has to offer is an amazing arts scene. Between the Dali Museum, The Fairgrounds, and the endless galleries on Central Ave, there is a lot to immerse yourself in. A lot of people also say that the nightlife scene is better in St. Pete compared to Tampa. In St. Pete, you have more walkable options and a big downtown stretch to bar hop, and most places are open pretty late. Tampa has a bunch of clubs in Ybor and Soho. But if you're looking for a more laid-back vibe, St. Pete is the move.

Much like all the cities surrounding Tampa Bay, the lack of affordable housing is one of the biggest complaints from St. Pete residents. Every month it seems we read about a new luxury condo complex being built. We would like to see more affordable options, especially for those who have lived here their whole lives.

Like we said earlier, we have the PSTA and Sun Runner, but some type of light rail in Downtown St. Pete would be fantastic. Residents seem to agree overall that the city could use more bike lanes with medians, car free walkable spaces and more parks/ greenery in general.

Tampa has Armature Works, so why doesn't St. Pete have a similar concept of a food hall/multipurpose space. Unlike the pier, preferably something indoors would be nice!

We saw someone suggest this on the Reddit thread and loved the idea. There is a dueling piano bar in downtown clearwater, but that's quite the hike when you're spending the evening in St. Pete. With the late night hours in St. Pete, we think a spot like this would do really well.

This totally fits the vibe of St. Pete. We're surprised there's no public outdoor skating rink of any kind. A partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning would get people out there too! If this ever happens, they better make sure it's shaded!

Last but not least on our list is Costco. The closest Costco to the St. Pete area is off Gulf To Bay Blvd in Clearwater. We need one off 4th street or 34th street!