Cape Coral short-term rental fees jump to $350, owners question fairness

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — A new fee hike for short-term rentals in Cape Coral is raising a big question: Is the city targeting bad actors, or making responsible owners pay more?

With opinions split over whether the new rules will truly fix problem rentals, the real test will be whether the city can translate higher fees into effective enforcement. The city says these changes are meant to strengthen enforcement and give it better tools to track rental properties.

Cape Coral's short-term rental crackdown is now hitting owners in the wallet. The city now charges $35 a year for long-term rentals but $350 a year for short-term rentals.

Supporters say that gives the city better tools to track these homes and respond when neighbors complain. There are more than 1,000 Cape Coral listings on Airbnb for a two-night stay in two weeks.

"It's good that the city has the information on owners and is able to contact them if there are code violations," said Kevin Besserer.

"It comes down really to if the city can continue to enforce it or not, these funds are supposed to go towards code enforcement," Besserer said.

Property managers like Vanessa Delgado say the higher fee hits a lot of owners who are not the ones causing trouble.

"There's always a bad apple here and there, but that doesn't speak for the volume of good people we have," Delgado said.

Down Calusa Court near the Yacht Club, WINK News met Adolph Campiona who lives right across from a vacation rental. He says even though guests come and go, problems don't visit.

"I haven't had any issues in the entire time that I've been here," Campiona said.

WINK News reached out to the city with several questions about the new fee structure. The city said they're reviewing them and will get back soon.