VACATION RENTALS

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – The state on Wednesday approved plans for St. Johns and Nassau counties to reopen vacation rentals. St. Johns CountySt. Johns County’s plan outlines details regarding a variety of factors including reservations, staffing, cleanings, and inspections. Ron DeSantis banned vacation rentals in an executive order aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus. DeSantis announced Friday that, beginning Monday, the ban on vacation rentals could be lifted if county and state officials gave the go-ahead. Putnam CountyShort-term vacation rentals were also approved to operate in Putnam County on Friday.

The state on Thursday approved Flagler County’s Vacation Rentals Safety Plan allowing bookings based on the guidelines set forth by the plan laid out by the Tourism Department and implemented by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards. Specific cleaning protocols for vacation rentals are also in effect. Pre-arrival screening of guests to include home origin in addition to the Florida Department of Health screening for COVID-19. The state on Wednesday approved plans for Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties to reopen vacation rentals. DeSantis announced Friday that, beginning Monday, the ban on vacation rentals could be lifted if county and state officials gave the go-ahead.

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 also did not apply to long-term rentals. The order issued Wednesday did not specify when the suspension of vacation rentals will end.

When asked by reporters if his plan would make it to the floor for a Senate vote, Diaz was non-committal. In exchange, regulation would be “preempted” to the state, largely preventing local governments from regulating vacation rentals. Florida law already bans local governments from passing ordinances to outlaw vacation rentals. Vacation rentals have sparked backlash from some homeowners, who complain about raucous parties, parking issues and a steady stream of strangers in neighborhoods. For us to be micromanaging vacation rentals, I am not sure that is the right thing to do,” DeSantis said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Local governments could lose what little control they have over short-term vacation rentals such as Airbnb under a bill that passed Thursday through its final House committee. Homeowners who have had bad experiences living next to the rentals worry the state won’t be able to address their individual concerns. The authority to license and inspect short-term rentals would be placed under the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation if the bill becomes law. Local governments could also still regulate short-term rentals to some degree, as long as any ordinance they pass applies to all homes the same, short-term rental or not. “We’re kind of stuck.”Any ordinances regulating short-term rentals passed before 2011 would not be affected by the legislation.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A long-running dispute over vacation rentals is heating up, as a Senate panel Tuesday approved a proposal that would give the state -- not local officials -- control over regulation of short-term rentals. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, would “preempt” regulation of vacation rentals, including licensing and inspection, to the state. Under current law, cities and counties cannot prohibit short-term rentals of residential properties. But it would let cities and counties impose new regulations so long as the rules applied equally to all residential properties, including private homes as well as vacation rentals. Diaz said he is well-suited to sponsor the proposal because, unlike other regions of the state, the majority of his district “does not suffer” from problems associated with vacation rentals.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In a long-running issue watched by communities and businesses across the state, a Senate committee Monday approved a proposal that would take away power from cities and counties to regulate vacation rental properties. The Senate Innovation, Industry and Technology Committee backed a bill (SB 1128), sponsored by Sen. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, that would “preempt” regulation of vacation rentals to the state. But critics contend that such rentals, in many cases, have turned into commercial operations in residential areas. “We can’t just preempt,” Passidomo said. “We have to preempt and set rules.”Rep. Jason Fischer, R-Jacksonville, has filed a House version of the bill (HB 1011).

St. Augustine city leaders consider set of rules for Airbnb and other vacation rentalsPublished: December 9, 2019, 10:52 pmCity leaders are taking up a set of rules for Airbnb and other vacation rentals in the nation’s oldest city.