Vacation Rental Permanent Lights

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On the Pinellas barrier islands, a large share of homes aren’t lived in year-round. Census Bureau estimates for 2020–2024 show only about 5,000 of 8,400 homes occupied full-time in St. Pete Beach, about 1,950 of 4,000 in Madeira Beach, about 1,940 of 3,400 in Indian Rocks Beach, and about 3,850 of 6,200 on Treasure Island. The rest include seasonal homes and rentals. For a rental owner, the outside of the house at night is part of the guest’s first impression, and you usually aren’t there to manage it. Permanent JellyFish eave lighting, scheduled from an app, handles that. Keywest Lights & Electric (KWLE), a woman-owned licensed electrical contractor (EC13014717) and authorized JellyFish dealer (not JellyFish Lighting itself), installs it. Phone 727-476-7079.

Request a quote

Tell us what you need and where you are. A licensed electrician will call or text you back to set a time. For an emergency, call (727) 476-7079, 24/7.

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What owners get

  • Arrival lighting: a warm white welcome that’s on when guests pull in after dark.
  • Holiday scenes: permanent Christmas lights for December bookings and other holidays on the calendar, without hiring anyone to hang strands.
  • Nothing to break: guests can’t unplug, tangle or pull down lights in a track under the soffit.
  • Remote control: change scenes, brightness and hours from anywhere.
  • Turtle-season compliance: beach-facing runs scheduled off automatically.

Turtle season comes first

The Pinellas beach towns appear on FWC’s list of local sea turtle lighting ordinances, and nesting season runs May 1 to October 31. During that time, beach-visible lights should be off. On Clearwater Beach and Sand Key, the city code says lights must not directly illuminate the beach during the season. JellyFish isn’t certified wildlife lighting, so we don’t treat it as turtle-safe. Beach-facing runs go on their own zone (two zones are an extra KWLE option) and are scheduled off for the whole season. The street side keeps its welcome light. See our sea turtle season guide.

Owner and manager access

The owner keeps the admin login. A property manager or cleaning lead can be given access to pick scenes and check that the lights are working between stays. Guests don’t need access: the schedule runs on its own. If you want guests to have a fun option, you can share access to a few saved scenes and remove it after checkout.

A rental calendar

  • Every night: warm white from dusk to 11 p.m. on the street side.
  • Quiet hours: dim or off after 11 p.m., matching most house rules.
  • May through October: beach zone off.
  • Late November to New Year’s: a Christmas scene on all sides.
  • Fourth of July: red, white and blue, street side only.

That’s permanent holiday lighting that runs itself.

Built for salt air

Rentals near the Gulf face constant salt exposure. JellyFish lights are sealed, connections are sealed, and the controller stays indoors in the garage on an existing outlet. Nothing electrical is left exposed outside. Under the soffit, the track is out of direct sun and rain.

Storms and turnover

During Hurricane Helene, the National Weather Service measured a record 6.67 feet above MHHW at Clearwater Beach. Ground-level garages flood, so we mount the controller high on the wall. Before a storm, there’s nothing to take down. Afterward, the manager can check the GFCI, run a test scene and report back. If anything is dark, call us at 727-476-7079.

Raised homes and condos

If your rental is raised, with living space above a ground-level garage, the eaves sit high. We use 6- or 9-inch spacing and a lift for installation. Condo rentals need association approval, and for those we prepare a board package showing runs, zones and schedules.

Photos for your listing

A lit house at dusk makes a strong listing photo, especially in the holiday season. Once the lights are installed, set a scene for the photographer. Warm white usually photographs best, and a Christmas scene works for December marketing. Schedule the shoot for the half hour after sunset, when the sky still has color.

Neighbors and complaints

Full-time neighbors notice rental lighting. Downward-facing light on your own walls, moderate brightness, a firm shut-off time and a dark beach side in summer go a long way toward keeping neighbors happy.

Cleaning and turnover crews

Turnover crews already check lights, locks and appliances between stays. Adding the eave lights takes one look at the app: confirm the controller shows online and the right scene is scheduled. If a guest reports a dark section, the 4-wire design keeps the rest of the lights working until we can fix it.

Spacing and color for rentals

A warm 2700K–3000K white reads as welcoming, which is what most rental owners want. Coastal white and gray homes can go a little cooler. For spacing, 9 inches is the usual choice: bright enough to light the house for arriving guests and full enough for a December scene.

Multiple properties

Each property gets its own controller and its own schedule. If you own several rentals, we’ll set up access for you and your manager at each one during installation, and we can match whites and spacing so your properties look consistent.

Off-season owners

Some owners use their beach house themselves in winter and rent it in summer. The calendar handles both: guest-friendly white and a dark beach side while it’s rented, then full holiday color when the family arrives in December. Nobody has to remember to change anything between seasons.

Where the lights go

Only under the soffit along each eave and up the gable rakes. We never mount on the roof, decks, railings or docks.

Process for remote owners

  1. Call or email, and tell us the address and whether a manager will meet us.
  2. We visit (between guests, if needed) to measure, check trim, test the garage outlet and mark beach-visible runs.
  3. You get a design preview and written scope by email.
  4. We handle any condo or HOA paperwork and permits.
  5. We install between bookings and set up the app for you and your manager.

Warranty and checkups

JellyFish’s 5-year parts warranty covers the lights, controller and power supplies. KWLE’s 2-year workmanship warranty covers the installation, extended to five years with a Member Care Plan, which includes a yearly checkup. That’s useful when you aren’t on site.

Beach towns we serve

St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, the Redingtons, Indian Rocks Beach, Belleair Beach and Clearwater Beach. Businesses can see permanent lighting for businesses. Start with a free design preview.

Vacation rental FAQ

Can guests turn the lights off? Only if you give them app access. Otherwise, the schedule runs on its own, every night, whether or not anyone is staying.

Do I need to be there for installation? No. A manager can let us into the garage, and we’ll go through the app with you by phone.

What about summer? Beach-facing runs stay off from May 1 to October 31, and the street side runs normally.

Does it need an outdoor outlet? No. It uses an existing garage outlet.

Sources: occupied vs. total housing units for St. Pete Beach, Madeira Beach, Indian Rocks Beach and Treasure Island, U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 (data.census.gov); Helene water level, NWS Tampa Bay (weather.gov); nesting season, FWC; Clearwater beach lighting, City of Clearwater.

Related: permanent lighting for businesses, soffit and eave lights and our free design preview. Call (727) 476-7079 for an estimate.