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Legislation negating local regulation of vacation rentals advances
House Bill 773 would negate city and county vacation-rental ordinances enacted since June 1, 2011
A committee in the Florida House of Representatives narrowly approved a bill that would negate local ordinances to regulate vacation rental properties.
House Bill 773 would negate vacation-rental ordinances that Florida cities and counties have enacted since June 1, 2011. The House Government Accountability Committee approved the bill in a 13-11 vote.
The chairman of the House Government Accountability Committee, Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-North Fort Myers, said the House Commerce Committee will consider the bill next.
Rep. Mike La Rosa, R-St. Cloud, sponsored the bill to limit local government regulation of vacation rentals.
He supported an amendment to the bill that would require sexual offenders or predators to notify local sheriffs and nearby residents that they will stay at vacation rentals.
The House committee also voted in favor of an amendment requiring notification of all other guests if a sexual predator is staying at a hotel. Hotel staff would be required to ask guests as they check-in if they are sexual predators.
La Rosa said the bill may be amended further to allow owners of vacation rentals or hotels to decline to accept a sexual predator as a guest.
Sen. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, is sponsoring a similar bill (SB 1400), which the Senate Appropriations Committee may consider. [Law.com] – Mike Seemuth