Vacation rentals remain off limits due to virus

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – While Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a plan Wednesday to begin reviving the state’s economy, he continued to prevent people from renting vacation properties because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DeSantis late Wednesday issued an executive order that kept in place a prohibition on vacation rentals that started last month because of concerns about infected people coming to Florida.

A March 27 order said “many cases of COVID-19 in Florida have resulted from individuals coming into the state of Florida from international travel and other states, posing great risk to Florida residents” and added that “vacation rentals and third-party platforms advertising vacation rentals in Florida present attractive lodging destinations for individuals coming into Florida.”

The order required suspension of vacation rentals of homes and condominiums. It did not apply to such lodging establishments as hotels, inns and resorts. It also did not apply to long-term rentals.

The order issued Wednesday did not specify when the suspension of vacation rentals will end.