Florida STR Ban Update

[Avery Carl]

Gov. DeSantis just announced that although we aren't moving into phase 2 of Covid reopening yet, that he is allowing each county to submit their vacation rental reopening plans to him for immediate approval (meaning prior to phase 2, when they were set to be allowed regardless). He also specifically mentioned that the panhandle counties (Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, etc) would be the ones most likely to get his approval to reopen vacation rentals as the panhandle has been significantly less affected than other areas of the state. So panhandle owners get your listings ready! I know I am making sure my prices are in order, as I we have had a LOT of action on our property even WITH the STR ban. I think we are about to see a big wave of bookings. I know many visitors were waiting to hear about this before committing to anything. Hopefully we can get approval within the next week. What are your thoughts?

[Michael Baum]

Bout damn time!

[Kathy Lindsay]

@AveryCarl,

I've been emailing the Governor and all of our local elected officials 3 times a week in protest of the continuing ban so I say that it is about time! All of our STR's are in Port St Joe (Gulf County) and we have had many requests for bookings in the past week. Since we are a driveable destination we will be able to recover quickly as long as the local officials cooperate. Let's get back to business!

[Anand S.]

I think its a joke and another way to delay what should have been done in parallel with the hotels. This is a tactic to throw red tape and bureaucracy on the situation and make it look like he's not outright favoring the hotels. Now we have to wait for our respective county to prioritize this high enough to author a plan, submit to the Governor, have them review, possibly ask for revisions and the process begins again till they approve. It's a joke!

[Avery Carl]

@Kathy Lindsay @Anand S. I think we in the panhandle are going to have it easier than a lot of the south and central Florida counties (which is garbage for the south and central counties).

[Anand S.]

Keep in mind that your county's plan will most likely have all kinds of conditions like 24-72 hours between bookings, Florida residents only and a host of other nonsensical requirements. 

[Avery Carl]

@Anand S. not ideal, but it’s a step

[Simon Collins]

Originally posted by @Kathy Lindsay:

@AveryCarl,

I've been emailing the Governor and all of our local elected officials 3 times a week in protest of the continuing ban so I say that it is about time! All of our STR's are in Port St Joe (Gulf County) and we have had many requests for bookings in the past week. Since we are a driveable destination we will be able to recover quickly as long as the local officials cooperate. Let's get back to business!

Where are your rentals?

I grew up in Beacon Hill and went to high school in Port St Joe.

All my family is still there.

I’ll be heading home for Memorial Day weekend....it’s been too long

[Nancy Bachety]

Waiting for the go ahead, turning down requests now because of the ridiculous ban. Our four twenty-something aged children have been living together with one husband and one GF in our St. Augustine STR in the meantime, and that is priceless. Bookings going up in Pigeon Forge and Jax LTR haven't missed a rent payment. Diversification = sanity.

[Joey Morea]

I know bay county already submitted their plan Below. I think hopefully we will be getting going here soon. I think the gov realizes how much the panhandel relays on STR as they really don't have a hotel infrastructure like other resort areas of Florida.

http://www.pcbgov.com/Home/Components/News/News/4387/18

[Valerie Rogers]

We own 3 condos in the same small building on Okaloosa Island (Fort Walton Beach FL, Okaloosa County). These condos are half of our STR portfolio and have been our best performing units.

Like everyone else, we've taken an incredible financial hit with Covid-19 since March and were hoping our FL condo summer bookings would save our year. 

Yet, the ban drags on.....

I've generally been impressed with Governor DeSantis' handling of the crisis but no more. He never mentioned STRs in his press conference last Friday despite the fact that the crescendo of pleas to open STRs has been growing over the past two weeks. I know that Mayors and County Commissioners have been sending letters and emails to his office for weeks and not one received a response from his office. 

And then Friday, a reporter brought up the subject of the STR ban and the Governor off-handedly mentioned that counties can submit their plans to the DBPR for review & approval.

Huh???

Did his office EVER respond to the communications sent by the Mayors & Commissioners with this information? No. No one even knew this was the course of action until he threw it out as an off-handed remark at the end of a press conference.

It was not until late Friday evening that Executive Order 20-123 was posted with the information.

While I hope this is a sincere offer for Counties to submit a plan to safely reopen STRs in their counties I suspect it is just a stalling tactic.

Multiple counties have submitted their plans beginning Friday and over the weekend and yesterday, yet not one has been approved. You can see a list on the link below that is supposed to show the Counties and the status of their application, yet the form is blank:

http://www.myfloridalicense.co...

I've been trying to post a "New Discussion" about what steps we are taking to prepare for re-opening but having no luck (see my report here). When I am able to successully post that topic I will. 

[Anand S.]

All signs point to it being a stalling tactic. There was never a logical reason to single out vacation rentals while allowing hotels/motels/etc. to operate. 

From what I understand, all counties have submitted a plan yet none have been approved. 

[Valerie Rogers]

Well good news! Okaloosa County & Escambia County plans among others have been approved! See this list.

Sorry, gotta go! Need to open up my calendars & listings and start taking bookings!

:-)

[Anand S.]

Great news. Fingers crossed for Broward county.

[Anand S.]

Upon closer inspection of the approved counties, I see only those in the panhandle/gulf areas were approved. None of the SE counties (Broward/PB/Dade) have been approved. 

From what I understand, the reopening proposals provided by the counties were all identical. So why just approve those specific counties? What are the differences you ask? Well, the panhandle/gulf area counties have very little hotel presence while the SE counties do. 

Hopefully this blatant corruption ends soon and we can all get back to doing business. 

[Avery Carl]

@Anand S. you're exactly right.

[Keith C.]

@Avery Carl if you wait on everything for approval you could be waiting a while ,, just remember the classic saying “ it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission “

[Avery Carl]

@Keith C. My county is approved, so I don’t need to ask forgiveness ;)

[Anand S.]

Anyone know what the status is for Broward County? The beaches opened today but I don't believe VR's have been approved, so wondering if anyone knows what the holdup is.

I'm getting numerous big-ticket booking requests but not sure what to do. 

[Valerie Rogers]

Originally posted by @Anand S.:

Anyone know what the status is for Broward County? The beaches opened today but I don't believe VR's have been approved, so wondering if anyone knows what the holdup is.

I'm getting numerous big-ticket booking requests but not sure what to do. 

Hi Anand,

I don't know why your county still hasn't been approved to reopen STRs, but I do see that it is not on the "approved" county list:

http://www.myfloridalicense.co...

 I'm so sorry! I know how frustrating and financially scary it is not to be able to take bookings for your property. I hope they open your county soon. 

[Anand S.]

Just want to let everyone in Fort Lauderdale know that Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry issued  today. It allows Vacation Rentals to operate starting June 15th.