Some Cape Coral residents say illegal efficiencies are on the rise. That means people are renting out rooms, garages and sheds without the city's permission.
It's no secret that owning a home in Cape Coral means you have to follow a lot of rules.
"It used to be called Cape Coma, even Cape Communism, because they had a lot of rules. You couldn't even park a truck in your driveway at some point," said resident Fatima Vazquez.
As the city grows rapidly, Vazquez thinks code enforcement is falling behind on one thing: illegal efficiencies.
"I can probably tell you I've seen at least 200 ads of illegal efficiencies in the last month," Vazquez said.
We asked the city of Cape Coral if these illegal rentals are a problem.
It sent us a statement, saying, in part, "The City of Cape Coral is aware of the issue of illegal conversions. Currently, there are 10 open code cases related to 'Permit Required—Illegal Conversion' from the last 6 months, 6 were reported by citizens, and 2 were reported by City staff."
NBC2 obtained records on three of those code cases. All of them were located in Northwest Cape Coral. The homeowners did not want to speak with reporters.
Justin Ballard is a licensed electrician with Island Aire of Southwest Florida. He says if these homes are getting shoddy work done, it's a real problem.
"We've seen jobs where houses literally caught fire from a handyman doing stuff and things not being permitted," Ballard said.
If you are caught with an illegal conversion, the city can fine you daily. If fees and fines are accrued, a lien may be placed on the property.
"They cannot keep track of how many people are actually in town. And that affects how much funding we get from the federal government for the county and also the city," Vazquez said.
Vazquez just hopes the city starts cracking down on these homes and addressing the root of the problem.
“I think it’s a crisis, but it's not just the Cape Coral crisis. It's a national crisis. This affordable rent housing is a nationwide crisis. The city and the government need to step up, and they're not stepping up to help out," Vazquez said.
If you suspect someone is operating an illegal efficiency in your neighborhood, the city said you should report it to code enforcement.