Local regulations regarding short-term rentals are likely to stay in place, as this year’s Florida legislative session comes to an end next week.
New rules that would allow the state to take over vacation rental regulations and eliminate local government authority have stalled during the session, according to the Florida Times-Union.
Earlier in the month, a bill governing vacation rentals passed the state Senate Community Affairs Committee. Under the proposed bill, regulations on vacation rental properties would be uniform across Florida. Currently, many municipalities have their own sets of regulations, including Miami, Miami Beach and Surfside.
State Sen. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, who sponsored the bill, told the Florida Times-Union that he does not see the legislation passing this year, meaning local regulations governing vacation rentals are likely to remain in place.
The latest bill was a merged version of Steube’s and state Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs. It proposed that vacation rental properties would be regulated like hotels and motels, so owners who hold five or more properties would be obligated to semi-annual inspections by the state. The bill would also require hosts to provide the state with emergency phone numbers to be shared with local governments.
Vacation rental ordinances passed before June 1, 2011, would remain in place, according to a bill amendment. [Florida Times-Union] – Amanda Rabines