§ 15-271. Definitions.

For the purpose of this article, the following terms, phrases, words, abbreviations and their derivations shall have the meaning given herein. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future tense, words in the plural number include the singular number, and words in the singular number include the plural number. The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely directory. Words not defined shall be given their meaning as provided in section 1-2, Rules of construction, of this Code.

Certificate of compliance means the document that is issued by the city that bears the words "vacation rental certificate of compliance" and shows that the person or entity, in whose name the document is issued, has complied with the provisions of this article relating to vacation rentals.

Garbage as defined in section 24-1 of this Code.

Owner-occupied shall mean a vacation rental that is the primary and permanent residence of the owner of the property.

Permanent residence means that place where a person has his or her true, fixed, and permanent home and principal establishment to which, whenever absent, he or she has the intention of returning. A person may have only one (1) permanent residence at a time; and, once a permanent residence is established in a foreign state or country, it is presumed to continue until the person shows that a change has occurred. The establishment of a permanent residence in the city is a factual determination to be made by the Broward County Property Appraiser and evidence of the granting of homestead exemption by the property appraiser shall be prima facie evidence of the establishment of a permanent residence.

Residential property as defined in section 47-35.1 of the Unified Land Development Regulations.

Responsible party shall mean the owner or the person designated by the owner of the property to be called upon to answer for the maintenance of the property and the conduct and acts of occupants of residential properties.

Sleeping room shall mean a room or space within a dwelling unit, as defined in section 9-236, of this Code, primarily designed and used or intended to be used for sleeping purposes, excluding living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, shower rooms, water closet compartments, laundries, pantries, foyers, connecting corridors, closets and storage space.

Transient occupants means any person, or guest or invitee of such person, who occupies or is in actual or apparent control or possession of residential property registered as or required pursuant to this article to be registered as a vacation rental. It shall be a rebuttable presumption that any person who holds themselves out as being an occupant or guest of an occupant of the vacation rental is a transient occupant.

Vacation rental shall mean any unit or group of units in a condominium or cooperative or any individually or collectively owned single-family, two-family, three-family, or four-family house or dwelling unit that is rented to transient occupants more than three (3) times in a calendar year for periods of less than thirty (30) days or one (1) calendar month, whichever is less, or which is advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented to transient occupants, and also a transient public lodging establishment as defined in F.S. § 509.013, but that is not a timeshare project.

( Ord. No. C-15-29, § 1, 8-18-2015 ; Ord. No. C-16-25 , § 1, 12-6-16)