Cape Coral residents voice concerns over rental noise and rule-breaking

Cape Coral is once again buzzing with discussions on short-term rentals.

During a recent Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting, city leaders and residents addressed ongoing issues with rental properties.

On Wednesday, residents living near short-term rentals voiced their frustrations at City Hall, citing disturbances and violations of city rules.

One resident expressed her frustration over a rental property behind her home. “I have spent the last three years trying to navigate the code compliance for curtailing this rental behind me, it’s been a horrible three years. They are actually pushing us out. We’re thinking of moving,” she said.

Another resident, determined to stay put, added, “They climb up on the roof out of the dormers at night, they smoke, they drink, they have parties. I mean, it’s ridiculous. I’ve been in my home for 40 years. I’m not moving. They’re moving.”

WINK News Reporter Olivia Jean has been investigating this issue for months. Back in July, she spoke to Cape neighbors with the same problem.

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“Even if I sit in my living room, I have my TV off, I hear the music from these homes,” said Markus Hartwich, a Cape Coral resident.

Macy Magas, another resident, also shared her concerns. “If there were just kids playing and just a family group, that would be totally fine. But it’s the loud music,” she said.

Gregg Mckee described the situation further. “You get a little alcohol-fueled party, you hear everything. And not just the music, but you hear the language and all that,” said McKee.

After previous reports by WINK News, code compliance cited three homes, leading to improvements for some neighbors. However, others still face challenges with rental properties not adhering to rules.

Wednesday morning at the COW meeting, the mayor acknowledged the enforcement issue, noting a lack of adherence to the 7-day, 6-night minimum stay rule. “Can we do a better job with enforcement? Absolutely, in my opinion,” said the mayor. He mentioned finding numerous short-term listings online that violate this rule, attributing the problem to the code compliance department.

The COW meeting focused on the discussion of short-term rental funding, rather than changing policies.

Council members echoed the need for better enforcement. “We have pretty rigorous code enforcement on that or code requirements for them, and it’s a matter of enforcement,” said Councilmember Joe Kilraine.

Councilmember Bill Steinke shared that these issues are common, saying, “Certainly the issues that are shared today are shared by all of us. I have rentals in my neighborhood too.”

Councilmember Jennifer Nelson-Lastra emphasized the importance of reporting serious incidents to law enforcement while acknowledging private property rights.

Cape Coral Police handle renter noise complaints as they do all noise complaints.

There are a total of 9,465 unique listings in the city of Cape Coral.

• View the COW short-term rental presentation here

WINK News is awaiting further information from the city on the number of code compliance visits and total number of complaints filed against rentals.