Florida’s real estate industry sees several new high-profile laws take effect

Several new real estate laws and regulations go into action in Florida today.

It’s July, which means the beginning of a new budget and fiscal year for the state government. That also means several new laws go into effect in the Sunshine State, especially in the real estate industry.

There’s a slew of new laws and regulations impacting the real estate market and management of properties in Florida. The range of new rules include the replacement of old coastal buildings, regulation on vacation rental properties, investment in conservation lands, limitations on a state property insurance organization, building permit approval and temperature controls in the workplace.

In March, the Legislature approved a measure that makes it easier for developers to demolish coastal buildings that might be historic, but need to be removed to make room for potentially larger structures. The measure was dubbed the “Resilience and Safe Structures Act.” It prohibits local governments from preventing demolition buildings in the coastal construction area.

The new law has roots in the in the tragic collapse of the Surfside condominium building in Miami Beach, when the structure literally fell upon itself, killing dozens of residents in 2021.

A highly controversial new measure focuses on regulating Airbnb and Vrbo rental properties. Lawmakers approved the regulation that gives the state more leverage in regulating short-term rentals.

The measure is at the heart of the debate over who should have more control: state regulators or local municipalities on city and county levels. The new measure allows for the local registration of a vacation rental to be suspended if there are upwards of half a dozen code violations during a two-month stretch.

Meanwhile, conservation lands were given some additional protection from the state. The new measure provides conservation protection for about 28,000 acres of land with a state acquisition of sensitive wetlands in the Everglades. It’s also considered a key habitat for the elusive Florida panther.

A new law now allows insurance companies to take out surplus insurance lines with Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the company created by the state in 2002 to help residents and businesses who may not be able to afford insurance with private companies. The new measure allows insurance companies with good standing to take out new lines of insurance through Citizens for dwellings that are not primary residences.

When it comes to comfort in the workplace for employees, a new law now in force prevents local governments from enacting regulations that protect workers from excessive heat in their jobs. The measure holds the line on those regulations from the state and local governments cannot exceed those state guidelines.

And a new law now requires a bit more punctuality when it comes to building permits. The new state measure going into effect today imposes deadlines on wrapping up permit applications for local municipalities when constructing special communities. It also opens the door for what’s known as third-party inspectors for those buildings instead of using only government-stipulated inspectors.