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.