Florida vacation rental proposal re-emerges

TALLAHASSEE — A Senate Republican on Monday filed a proposal that could refuel a debate about regulation of vacation rental properties.

The bill (SB 522), filed by Sen. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, would largely give the state control of regulation of vacation rentals, preventing local restrictions. Local governments could only regulate the rentals in the same way as other properties in neighborhoods, a restriction that cities and counties have strenuously opposed in the past.

Diaz’s bill is filed for the legislative session that will start March 2. He sponsored a similar measure during the 2020 session, but it did not pass.

The regulatory issue has sparked a long-running battle pitting local government officials against advertising platforms, such as Airbnb.