New Florida law alters rental landscape, removes local governments from landlord-tenant turf

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis approved Thursday a bill that would remove local governments from landlord-tenant turf. House Bill 1417, sponsored by representative Tiffany Esposito of Fort Myers, takes effect July 1.

“When you look at House Bill 1417, what it does is removes the authority that local entities have had to establish rules that would govern the tenant-landlord relationship,” said Dr. Shelton Weeks, Lucas Professor of Real Estate at Florida Gulf Coast University.

According to Weeks, landlords and renters in Florida will soon be playing by the same set of rules. Specifically, the law decreases the required notice period for tenants from a minimum of 60 days to a range of 30 to 60 days. Meanwhile, it offers a small benefit to month-to-month renters by extending the notice period for ending their tenancy from 15 days to 30 days.

“On the flip side of this, while it certainly takes that power away from local entities, and puts it in the hands of the state, by being able to do that, and having one set of rules that governs this series of relationships throughout the state, it should encourage more investment in housing in the long run,” Dr. Weeks said.

But various advocacy groups across the state have spoken out against the bill. Florida Rising, for example, summed up their argument in this post, prior to DeSantis’ approval.

If DeSantis does not veto #HB1417, it will:

• Override local tenant protections;
• Prevent local governments and voters from determining solutions to the housing crisis in their cities; and
• Impact anti-discrimination rules for LGBTQIA+ Floridians & returning citizens… — Florida Rising (Text JOINUS to 58123) (@FLRising) June 20, 2023

“If DeSantis does not veto #HB1417, it will: override local tenant protections; prevent local governments and voters from determining solutions to the housing crisis in their cities; and impact anti-discrimination rules for LGBTQIA+ Floridians & returning citizens…”

What questions do you have about House Bill 1417?

Email: kellie.miller@winknews.com