DeSantis vetoes bill that would have regulated vacation rentals

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill Thursday that would have enacted a statewide regulatory framework for vacation rental properties, arguing against the “one-size-fits-all” approach.

In his veto letter, the governor urged lawmakers to revisit the issue next year and ensure proposals are tailored to work for more individual scenarios and local governments. The measure was championed by Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-St. Petersburg.

“Beyond creating new bureaucratic red tape that locals must comply with, [the bill] prevents local governments from enforcing existing ordinances or passing any new local measure which would exclusively apply to vacation rentals,” DeSantis said.

“Under this bill, any such measure must apply to all residential properties,” he said. “The effect of this provision will prevent virtually all local regulation of vacation rentals even though the vacation rental markets are far from uniform across the various regions of the state.”

SB 280 was relatively controversial in the Florida Legislature, passing the Senate 23-16 and the House 60-51.

“The bill is very simple,” DiCeglie said of the bill earlier this year. “We want to lay out a regulatory framework for local governments and a local registration program.”

“This is going to create predictability for local governments, for local communities, for folks that want to exercise their property right, in renting their their properties for vacation rentals,” he said when the bill passed through both chambers.

The next legislative session is in March 2025.