TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) – The extremely anticipated 2025 rental reform invoice now awaits the governor’s signature.
The prolonged invoice gives aid and monetary flexibility, whereas additionally diving into rental inspections, repairs, and upkeep.
This comes at a time of ongoing issues concerning rental security.
On Tuesday, residents at a Clearwater condo were evacuated after cracks have been present in a pillar beneath the constructing. Sixty residents have been pressured to go away their houses, with crews nonetheless at work stabilizing and repairing the constructing.
“People are hurting financially. They’re up towards making choices whether or not or not they’ll depart the dream referred to as Florida. And plenty of of them are our coastlines, the place it is paradise, and security can be on the forefront of this concern,” stated State Senator Nick DiCeglie (R- Indian Rocks Seaside).
Security is a high concern for residents following the 2021 Surfside rental collapse. In response to that, lawmakers enacted laws to boost rental security, accountability, and transparency.
From 2022-2025, a number of payments have been filed and handed on the statehouse that take up points like milestone rental inspections, structural reserve research, constructing codes and upkeep changes.
“Listening to homeowners discuss how they know their constructing must be secure, however pleading that the method be truthful and workable, frightened that builders would make the most of the scenario, frightened that issues [would] not be carried out so shortly that they can not financially catch up. And to all of these homeowners, we heard you and this invoice is the aid you are asking for,” stated State Senator Jennifer Bradley (R- Fleming Island).
The bill at hand expands rental associations’ emergency powers to incorporate imposing evacuation orders, modifications hurricane safety guidelines, and requires native businesses to report by Oct. 1, 2025 the variety of buildings inspected within the space, highlighting those deemed unsafe.
This yr’s invoice handed out of each chambers and is now awaiting the governor’s signature. However DeSantis wished it had been throughout the end line sooner.
“There is no purpose the invoice that was handed couldn’t have been handed in January,” DeSantis stated. “That will have given individuals peace of thoughts. It might have averted a few of the different assessments which have come again within the intervening months. It might have given extra time to have the ability to work it out, and so it ought to have been performed in January.”
With that, DeSantis stated he helps the ultimate invoice handed. However the query stays— when will he signal it into legislation?
