Cocoa Beach has expanded its enforcement of short-term vacation rentals to include condos and other multifamily residential properties as the city continues to grapple with the growing industry.''

The measure was approved unanimously by the Cocoa Beach City Commission April 17, restructuring the fees for short-term rental operators in the city.

Earlier this year Cocoa Beach City Commission instituted new annual fees as well as penalties for bad actors for short-term vacation rentals in single-family homes where the issue has been hotly debated.

The city faced some backlash in February when it dramatically raised fees to a $2,500 application cost and an annual renewal fee $1,500 per year for single-family homes.

This week, those fees were adjusted to account for both the number of guests staying at short-term rentals and include multifamily buildings. Under the previous ordinance, only single-family homes used as short-term rentals were subject to the city's regulations.

Annual registration fees for vacation rentals will now be based on the total occupants expected. For single-family rentals, that fee is now $219.45 per guest each year. For multi-family properties, the fee will be $146.30 per guest annually.

Raising money through the registration fee structure will allow the city to pay for enforcement.

Besides the registration costs, new fines will be instituted for violators. Anyone operating a vacation rental without registering will be fined $250 for the first day and $500 for every subsequent day until the sixth day when then fine goes up to $1,000 daily.

"We really wanted to be fair to the residents and the people who are running their AirBnBs properly," mayor Keith Capizzi said.

Lisa Bosch, a property owner in Cocoa Beach, said she's concerned about the new fee structure.

"At this point I don't even see it as legally supportable," Bosch said. "What's going to happen to a small apartment building with those fees is it's going to put us under."

Mayor Capizzi, however, said the impacts to owners of short-term rental properties who aren't receiving complaints already should be minimal.

"If you're not getting called on currently for stuff, this really doesn't apply to you. If you're a good actor ... the only thing you're going to see different is this registration fee that we dropped down," he added.