Residents, Take Action: Protect Our Community from Disruptive Vacation Rentals. Your voice is needed!

Good afternoon North Bay Village residents,

We have important information to share with you about short-term vacation rentals (like Airbnb and VRBO) and a new state law that could affect our community.

In 2022, we passed a local ordinance to regulate these vacation rentals and keep our neighborhoods safe and peaceful. This ordinance has been working well to address any issues caused by problematic rentals.

However, the state legislature recently passed Senate Bill 280, and it has us concerned. Here are a few key issues with this new law:

• 🏨 Unlike hotels, this law allows vacation rentals to operate before getting licensed and inspected for safety.

• 💻 It eliminates the requirement for vacation rentals to register with the Village, which was a crucial part of our ordinance for ensuring visitor safety and protecting our residential areas.

• 🚸 It doesn’t address the potential risk of sex offenders staying in vacation rentals near schools or daycares, which is a major concern in our close-knit community.

• 🚨 It makes it really difficult to hold disruptive rentals accountable for issues like excessive noise or parking violations, requiring multiple violations before any action can be taken.

We’re worried that Senate Bill 280 could lead to more problematic vacation rentals popping up and disrupting the quality of life we’ve worked so hard to maintain in North Bay Village.

That’s why we’ve sent a letter to Governor DeSantis, urging him to veto this bill. We encourage you, our residents, to take action as well and contact the Governor’s office to voice your concerns and urge him to veto Senate Bill 280.

Sample message:

Subject: North Bay Village resident urging Veto of SB 280

Governor DeSantis,

I am writing as a concerned resident of North Bay Village to urge you to veto Senate Bill 280 relating to vacation rentals. This bill removes key provisions that allowed our Village to effectively regulate short-term rentals through our ordinance. This bill undermines our ability to ensure residents’ safety and quality of life. Please veto SB 280 and protect local control over vacation rental rules.

Thank you,

[Your Name/Address/North Bay Village Resident]

Please share that message with:

• Governor Ron DeSantis

  • Email: [email protected]

  • Phone: 850-717-9249

• Chief of Staff James Uthmeier

  • Email: [email protected]

  • Phone: 850-488-5603

• Legislative Director Peter Cuderman

  • Email: [email protected]

We want to work with the state to develop better regulations that address our community’s valid concerns about short-term rentals.

Your safety and peace of mind are our top priorities. We appreciate your understanding and support as we continue advocating for measures that protect the Heart of the Bay.