INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. — A bill that would provide a standard set of rules for all short-term rentals in the state of Florida passed in both the Florida Senate and House of Representatives and now awaits approval from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

What You Need To Know

  • Bill includes grandfather clause for local ordinances introduced before 2016

  • Occupancy limits include two people per bedroom and two additional people in one common area with few exceptions

  • Vacation rentals must be registered for "reasonable fee"

  • FULL TEXT: SB 280

SB 280 passed by a small margin in the House and included a new amendment that grandfathers in local vacation rental ordinances that were made by city governments prior to 2016.

State Sen. Nick DiCeglie, one of the bill’s sponsors, says a key piece of this version of the bill was it clearly states how many people are allowed to stay at an Airbnb or Vrbo type rental.

“We talk about these party homes and these folks who are violating local ordinances with parking, noise, and trash and it’s impossible not to correlate that with occupancy,” he said.

The bill states maximum overnight occupancy is two people per bedroom, plus an additional two people in one common area. The exception is there can be more than two people per bedroom if the rooms are large and there’s at least 50 square feet of space per person.

It also requires that owners pay a reasonable registration fee, have someone available over the phone at all times to respond to complaints, and lets local governments suspend a rental’s registration for repeatedly breaking city rules.

“The main goal was to create a uniform set of regulations, some consistency and some predictability,” DiCeglie said. “I think there are ordinances in the state that go too far that have invited dozens of lawsuits and invited Bert Harris claims… tens of million of dollars in taxpayer money goes towards defending these lawsuits.”

Indian Rocks Beach Mayor Cookie Kennedy has been vocal about the bill as it worked its way through the legislature. Before its approval, she stated it was an overstep and that there shouldn’t be a one size fits all solution given how different Florida’s cities are.

Communities like Vilano Beach, located near St. Augustine, have residents writing to the governor asking he veto the bill for similar reasons.

If signed into law, the bill will go into effect on July 1.