Despite passage, future of vacation rentals bill uncertain

There’s a battle brewing in Florida. Should the governor sign that bill giving the state more control over short-term vacation rentals? Lawmakers have been trying for years to get vacation rental reform across the finish line. They did it earlier this year with a narrow margin of victory. Now— you have lobbyists, city leaders, and residents fighting over whether it should get the governor’s felt pen. And no one is really sure what he’ll do. Floridians have grown weary of loud and at times disorderly “party houses” in peaceful neighborhoods with the rise of sites like Airbnb and VRBO. Lawmakers offered SB 280 to help. It gives the state more power to regulate vacation rentals by controlling licensing, creating more oversight of rental ad platforms, and setting up occupancy limits.