|
One day before the end of the 2024 Legislative Session, the Florida Senate and House passed SB 280, a vacation rental bill that does not help cities address the negative impact short-term vacation rentals are having on our single family neighborhoods!
SB 280 was pushed through the legislative session and was touted as a good bill because it would “standardize” the registration of vacation rentals across the state of Florida. In actuality, SB 280 strips municipalities of their local registration programs. The City of Jacksonville Beach spent months holding public workshops and public hearings, obtaining input from all stakeholders before passing an ordinance that provided regulations on occupancy, parking, trash and safety concerns with vacation rentals. If SB 280 is signed by Governor DeSantis, the registration program Jacksonville Beach approved in 2019 would be completely wiped out.
SB 280 will be sent to the Governor's desk soon for his signature or veto. So, local governments and citizens throughout Florida who have been impacted by problems with vacation rentals are contacting the Governor and urging him to VETO SB 280.
Read SB 280
Read Jacksonville Beach SB 280 Veto Letter
Read Florida News Service Article about SB 280
PROBLEMS WITH SB 280:
-
SB 280, will eliminate the regulations and balance that local governments have worked to find since 2014. Communities throughout Florida relied upon the actions of the 2014 Florida Legislature that authorized local regulations for vacation rentals to deal with the growing impact vacation rentals have on their neighborhoods. In good faith, these communities crafted common sense regulations, held extensive public hearings with input from all stakeholders, and many of these communities have had such regulations working and in effect for as long as 8 years.
- SB 280 doesn't address the concern with sex offenders renting a vacation rental in a neighborhood or near a school. Multiple cities have registration requirements for vacation rentals related to sex offenders. Some regulations provide additional reporting requirements to protect their communities, other regulations state that sex offenders are not allowed to stay in short term rentals altogether. SB 280 will preempt these regulations intended to ensure the safety of our children and neighborhoods.
- SB 280 makes it extremely difficult for municipalities to hold problem vacation rentals accountable for their negative impact on our neighborhoods. As it stands, the standard is being set so high, it will be virtually impossible to suspend the operation of bad actors. Nuisance violations (noise, parking, etc.) are typically “resolved” when the guest vacates the vacation rental, thus never triggering an officially recorded violation through a magistrate or code enforcement board. Under SB 280, residents will have to endure 5 or more violations before anything can be done, an unacceptable proposition for those living next to a problematic vacation rental.
- SB 280 doesn't require ANY safety inspections of vacation rentals; putting profit ahead of public safety. All other Florida businesses and public lodging establishments must pass public health and safety inspections prior to operation. Yet, SB 280 doesn’t require safety inspections prior to allowing vacation rentals to begin operation. It is important to note, many local registration ordinances require safety inspections before the vacation rental registration is approved. Why require safety inspections for hotels but not for vacation rentals in neighborhoods?
- SB 280 grandfathers Flagler County's registration ordinance while it eradicates all other local registration ordinances in Florida. Why grandfather one county’s registration ordinance and not grandfather all the other communities who passed ordinances after 2014?
IMPORTANT NOTE: This bill will negatively impact Jacksonville Beach's current registration ordinance. The bill will also prevent Atlantic Beach or Neptune Beach from creating their own registration process with registration requirements that are important to their communities.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!
If you’ve had issues with vacation rentals in your neighborhood, please contact Governor DeSantis and urge him to VETO SB 280. Tell your story! It is important for the Governor to hear from residents who have been negatively impacted by vacation rentals.
Even if you haven’t been negatively impacted by problem vacation rentals, it could only be a matter of time before a problem vacation rental moves into your neighborhood… or worse yet, next door to you!
Please contact Governor DeSantis and urge him to VETO SB 280 to protect our single family neighborhoods from problems caused by unregulated vacation rentals.
CONTACT GOVERNOR DESANTIS:
Email: GovernorRon.DeSantis@eog.myflorida.com
Phone: 850-717-9249
THANK REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL AND SENATOR YARBOROUGH:
It is important to note that Representative Kiyan Michael and Senator Clay Yarborough voted AGAINST SB 280. In particular, Representative Michael urged other members of the House to vote against SB 280 and she has also urged Governor DeSantis to veto SB 280. If you are so inclined, please email them and thank them for their support!
Representative Kiyan MIchael: kiyan.michael@myfloridahouse.gov
Senator Clay Yarborough:yarborough.clay@flsenate.gov
| 
