Brevard County currently has zoning protections in place that limit or prohibit short-term vacation rentals in many unincorporated communities and neighborhoods.

On September 15, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners started the process of changing the zoning code in unincorporated Brevard County to allow short-term Vacation Rentals in all unincorporated areas of Brevard County.

In addition to this proposed change, any significant changes to our County’s zoning code will remove the protections that have been grandfathered in against daily or hourly Vacation Rentals.

Allowing Vacation Rentals in all unincorporated areas and removing our exemptions will open up our unincorporated residential neighborhoods to Airbnb, Vrbo, HomeAway, investors and the vacation rental corporate industry. Vacation rentals will become regulated by the State, and we will not be able to prohibit or set limits on the frequency or duration of vacation rentals in our own residential neighborhoods.

This proposed change to our zoning will be discussed in a series of 4 Public Meetings at the Viera Government Complex in November and December 2020. The current schedule indicates these changes are to be finalized on December 22.

Unless our communities work together to force our County Commissioners to stop these zoning changes, Vacation Rentals will forever change our quiet residential neighborhoods. Once are existing exemptions are removed, we can never go back.

The zoning change was introduced by District 3 Commissioner John Tobia in February and again in September, 2020. Tobia says he just wants to “simplify” our zoning code. It is true that Brevard County’s zoning code is complicated. We have over 50 different zoning classifications that have been created over time.

John Tobia publicly describes his changes to our zoning as “simple” and “not radical.” But on November 6, meeting agendas were released showing that Commissioner Tobia’s actual intent is to allow Vacation Rentals throughout ALL unincorporated areas of Brevard County. In addition, if the changes to our code are deemed significant, we will lose all protections grandfathered in from before 2011.

We will be unable to prohibit hourly rentals in our unincorporated communities. And we can never go back.

In 2011, when he was a State Representative, John Tobia voted for FS 509.032(7)(b), which takes power over Vacation Rentals away from local governments and gives control to the State. According to an October 23 Florida Today article, almost half of John Tobia’s campaign contributions come from developers.

“Brevard County Commissioner John Tobia makes no apologies for his pro-growth stances, which brought bundles of cash from building interests into his reelection campaign…”

Eight residents of the South Beaches met with Commissioner John Tobia on October 23. John Tobia says his mind is made up. He will be voting to allow daily vacation rentals in all of our residential neighborhoods.

We need 3 of our 5 Commissioners to vote AGAINST Commissioner Tobia’s proposed changes. Let’s work together and contact ALL FIVE of our Commissioners, our County Manager and County Attorney. Get involved! Tell your friends and neighbors! Attend the upcoming meetings! Together, we can convince at least 3 of our 5 Commissioners to VOTE NO and save the neighborhoods we love!

No Daily Rentals is operated by a coalition of community volunteers. Donations to No Daily Rentals support Saving Florida’s Future, a PAC dedicated to preserving Florida’s beauty and natural resources for future generations. Learn more about the statewide effort to protect Florida’s neighborhoods from unregulated Vacation Rentals here.

We welcome everyone’s help! We all need to work together to stop this zoning change.

Here is a list of things you can do:

1. Contact all 5 Commissioners, our County Manager and County Attorney (contact info here)
2. Sign our petition
3. Take our survey
4. Tell all your friends and neighbors
5. Spread the word on social media
6. Make phone calls (sign up here and we can help give you a list of numbers to call)
7. Distribute flyers
8. Distribute yard signs
9. Repurpose (spray paint) existing yard signs
10. Request a yard sign
11. Attend a public meeting
12. Donate to BIPPA to help cover costs to inform the public
13. Have other ideas for ways to help? Please fill out this form or contact us!

Click on the “Volunteer” section on our Get Involved page if you’d like to sign up directly!