The city of St. Augustine has approved a small increase in fees for vacation rental owners, a move that is intended to cover administrative costs and affects about 820 active short-term rentals in the area.

City commissioners voted unanimously Monday night to raise the fees, with Commissioner Cynthia Garris saying she supports the modest increase because she doesn’t want to see residents be “overwhelmed” by an increase of hundreds of dollars.

Additionally, the fee hike applies only to vacation rental owners, not taxpayers. It adds roughly $9 to the base rate and $6 to the per-bedroom rate.

Visitors to St. Augustine shared their thoughts on the increase. Stacey Judge, who frequently visits the city with a friend, expressed some concern.

“[The fee] could have people looking somewhere els

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