Panama City Reporter

Florida House Bill HB 1011 has caused a stir around the state, as the legislation would put short-term vacation rentals under the umbrella of statewide governance and out-of-the hands of the authority of local governments.

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jason Fischer (R-Jacksonville), passed a subcommittee recently but will face a dogfight of a battle from other politicians and residents statewide.

If passed, the bill would regulate various short-term rental entities like Airbnb and VRBO by requiring users looking to promote their rental to include proper licenses and tax identification in online ads. State government would be in charge of dealing with problems related to the ads.

“The goal of this bill is to bring accountability to Florida’s vacation rental industry by ensuring only properly registered and licensed vacation rentals are listed on advertising platforms,”  Fischer explained during a subcommittee meeting on the issue, adding that the legislation would require Airbnb and other short-term rental entities to reveal their licenses and tax identification on any online advertising.

The bill does include a grandfather-clause allowing local ordinances to stay in place if they were made before June of 2011 but isn't enough to appease critics of the legislation who say the bill would leave local governments to make decisions on issues that critically affect their jurisdiction.

“There’s not one city, not one county, not one mayor, not one city councilman that agrees with this bill. As a former member of this legislature I can tell you this bill is so far overreaching, and it interrupts the exact home-rule thing that Rep. Fischer was talking about," according to former Florida House Rep. Jason  Steele.