.JPG "Partygoers stumble back to The Club at Brickell Bay at 4 a.m. March 30, 2026. In a letter dated Aug. 11, 2026, the City of Miami ordered The Club to ‘cease immediately’ all illegal vacation rentals in the condo tower.")
Partygoers stumble back to The Club at Brickell Bay at 4 a.m. March 30, 2026. In a letter dated Aug. 11, 2026, the City of Miami ordered The Club to ‘cease immediately’ all illegal vacation rentals in the condo tower.
Linda Robertson
lrobertson@miamiherald.com
Illegal vacation rentals causing mayhem at a 43-story condominium called The Club at Brickell Bay must stop hosting guests immediately, the City of Miami ordered in a letter to homeowners’ association board members, each of whom is in the Airbnb business.
Assistant City Manager Barbie Hernandez informed the condo’s officers that The Club is run like a hotel in violation of local and state laws, which has created a disruptive and dangerous environment, and must cease short-term rentals of less than 30 days.
“It is clear your building is being operated as a transient public lodging establishment in violation of Florida Statutes, the Florida Building Code and the laws of the City of Miami,” Hernandez wrote. “This operation creates a significant life safety issue as your building is not approved for fire, life safety or disability requirements as provided for in the relevant codes.
“All illegal vacation/lodging rentals in violation of both State and local law must cease immediately.”
The cease-and-desist order gives sleep-deprived homeowners and residents hope that they might regain the quality of life lost under an onslaught of misbehaving tourists who often pack 10 people into units subdivided with unpermitted walls while partying until dawn. About 85 percent of the tower’s 643 units have been converted into Airbnbs since COVID struck in 2020.
Partygoers arrive atop an SUV at The Club at Brickell Bay, 1200 Brickell Bay Drive, Miami. Provided by resident
Frustrated homeowners complained to city leaders for years and got nowhere. But following a Miami Herald investigative article on The Club’s “Animal House” reputation, nine city officials met with a group of longtime owners and pledged to crack down.
READ MORE: ‘Save your condo before it’s too late.’ How Miami condo turned into ‘Animal House’
“The city can’t turn its back on us anymore,” said Christina Lardon, owner since 2008. “We built our lives and livelihoods in this neighborhood and we don’t want to see it destroyed. It has been such a struggle, but The Club is worth fighting for because it’s my home.
“People say, ‘Just move,’ and they don’t understand it’s not that easy – our property values have suffered because of this craziness. The tourists who are tearing up our building are the ones who should get out. They don’t belong here. I bought this as my permanent home.”
READ MORE: Condo residents furious after Miami inspectors nix visit; city says hands tied
Hernandez found, as the Herald did, that The Club, at 1200 Brickell Bay Dr., lacks required licenses and permits and cited the condo for an improper Business Tax Receipt, Certificate of Occupancy and two Certificates of Use (CU).
The first CU, issued in 2007, is only for residential use; in addition, the Herald reported it was forged, according to a former homeowner who said he never applied for or signed it. The second CU, issued in 2011, is for 30 hotel units, which were never approved by the HOA board, according to the president at that time.
In 2007, the city of Miami issued a Certificate of Use for a ‘Condo Shell’ at The Club at Brickell Bay. The certificate contains no references to lodging or condo-hotel. City of Miami records
Hernandez is allowing 30 units to continue to operate as short-term rentals, but the company that applied in 2011 — Executive Corporate Rentals — is only operating six Airbnbs today.
“The City has no record of any application for a vacation/short-term rental license with the city,” Hernandez wrote. “The City has received numerous complaints over the past months regarding short-term / lodging rental in excess of the 30 units. Your building staff has been instructed to refuse entry to City inspectors sent to investigate these complaints, as we are constantly turned away. While such tactics may lengthen the time of the City’s investigation, it will in no way cause it to stop.”
Hernandez gave board members 10 days to contact her. She declined to answer questions from the Herald about how the city plans to enforce the order.
HOA President Maria Sindia Borras could not be reached for comment. Nor could HOA attorney Eduardo Valdes, who wrote cease-and-desist letters threatening eviction to homeowners who complained to the city and police about problems with vacation rentals and guests — including gun-carrying guests, bellicose guests, drunken guests, pot-smoking guests, guests having sex in the pool area, guests accosting teens who live in the building, guests throwing liquor bottles off balconies, squatters living in Airbnbs left unlocked, fights and loud music.
Homeowners who escorted City of Miami code compliance inspectors into the building to units where inspectors issued unlawful lodging citations — subsequently dismissed by the city — were also sent cease-and-desist letters by Valdes, following instructions by the board.
The Club evolved into an Airbnb hotspot under the former board president, Karl de Borbon, who installed a hotel reservation system in the office and encouraged investors to buy units in a building that was advertised by real estate agents as “an investor’s dream free of any rental restrictions.”
Rollaboard-toting tourists jam the lobby at The Club at Brickell Bay. Provided by resident
Vacation rentals during peak times in Miami can earn Airbnb hosts $1,000 per night, depending on the size of the unit, which is a lot more lucrative than renting it monthly or yearly. De Borbon, a superhost of six units nicknamed “Mr. Wonderful,” defended his transformation of the building into a popular and profitable destination in the $135 billion Airbnb industry, and said only a small minority of full-time residents object.
The Club at Brickell Bay, 1200 Brickell Bay Drive, is one of Miami’s largest condo towers with 643 units in the 43-story building. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com
“What happened here was driven 100 percent by greed, with no regard for safety, respect, peaceful enjoyment or our rights,” Lardon said. “We are living in a modern-day ‘Game of Thrones’ with all kinds of kings, queens and monsters vying for control over the peasants.
“It’s about time the city took action. If they fail us again, shame on them.”
The latest crisis at The Club occurred at about 2 a.m. on Aug. 4, when a 20-year-old man fell from the balcony of a 34th-floor vacation rental unit and died, according to Miami police. His body was found by Miami paramedics on the roof of the adjacent nine-story building.
Berke Mirac Ural, a university student from Istanbul, according to his Linked In page, was “drinking and smoking marijuana” with others, his friend 19-year-old Burak Sahin told police. They put Ural to bed “due to him being intoxicated.” When they went to check on him minutes later, they couldn’t find him anywhere in the apartment. Sahin then looked over the balcony and saw Ural’s body below.
Neighbors of the unit said they heard music and smelled marijuana that night. The unit is owned by South Zone Corp. Florida corporate records list Patricia Adriana Radonich, Victoria Eliana Chahwan and Facundo Nicolas Chahwan as officers. They could not be reached for comment.
READ MORE: Having problems with HOA board over short-term rentals? We want to hear from you
The current board, voted in after a contentious June election marred by forged ballots, has promised improved management and transparent record-keeping, but has not made an announcement about the city’s cease-and-desist order that is dated Aug. 11. None of the five board members live in the building and all own or manage Airbnbs.
At a board meeting on Friday afternoon, the first held by the new board, homeowners asked about how and when the board would answer the letter from the city. Board members said they are consulting with the HOA’s lawyer.
Homeowners reported a swift meeting at which officers discussed a reorganization of their specific duties and the hiring of an elevator expert to fix the chronically malfunctioning, overloaded elevators. They did not address the death of Ural or the Herald’s articles. Residents expressed agitation that investors’ concerns are prioritized over theirs.
Two whistleblowing owners said they were locked out of the Zoom meeting. The board president did not respond when asked it they were denied access or if a technical glitch prevented access.
“We have a new board in the building after almost eight years of having the same president, during which we had fraudulent elections,” said homeowner Alejandra Pelaez. “The new board is working on many items, and I as an owner support the very hard work they’re doing as we give them enough time to address all matters. We advocated for change and they are working on it.”
Christina Lardon, a Club at Brickell Bay homeowner since 2008, is among a small group of homeowners who lodged complaints with Miami code enforcement and Miami police about the chaos at the condo tower. ‘I am stuck living in this war zone of a condo.’ Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com
While board members asked for patience, two police cars pulled up at The Club’s entrance — as is the case most days. The lobby was busy.
“So far it’s business as usual,” Lardon said. “Lots of foot traffic. Lots of noise. Three broken elevators. And broken AC in all the common areas.”
This story was originally published August 14, 2026 at 5:00 AM.