A Florida legislative bill that would require additional safety standards for vacation rental homes that have pools has unanimously passed in the state Senate.
The bill would require long-term and short-term residential rental properties with a swimming pool or a body of water within 150 feet to be equipped with at least one water or pool safety feature. Those safety features may include a fence, an alarm, or a pool cover, among other options.
The bill would also allow the state to suspend or revoke someone’s vacation rental license or fine a licensee for non-compliance.
The legislation came to be after separate bills proposed by Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, a Democrat, and Sen. Danny Burgess, a Republican, were combined.
The pair emphatically shook hands in the Florida Senate Thursday as their combined legislationsuccessfully advanced.
“This has been a great opportunity to work with Sen. Smith on an issue that’s near and dear to our hearts,” said Sen. Burgess. “I’ll be your wingman on a pool bill any day of the week,” hesaidtoSen. Smith.
Sen. Smith thanked Sen. Burgess “not only for his kindness but also for his collaboration in coming together for a bill that really is a direct product of the solutions that both of our communities came forward with to tackle this growing crisis.”
Sen. Smith said 119 children in Florida diedas a result ofdrownings last year.
A multi-part Scripps News investigation found that at least 50 children since 2021 had been involved in fatal or non-fatal drownings, specifically at vacation rental homes in Florida.
Sen. Smith, who had proposed water safety bills in the past, said Scripps News’ reporting about drownings at vacation rentals helped inspire him to focus new legislation specifically on vacation rentals.
“That was an issue that we knew was a problem, but we didn't realize the extent of the problem until we saw some of this reporting that has been put together by Scripps News,” Sen. Smith said in September.
The current bipartisan bill has the support of Airbnb.
“If you would have told me six months ago that I would be getting a bill through the Florida Senate to regulate vacation rentals with the support of Airbnb, I would have called you crazy,” Sen. Smith said, thanking the company for its support.
“Airbnb supports bipartisan efforts in Florida to strengthen safety standards for all homes with pools. Clear, practical, safety measures help protect families and can give hosts confidence in welcoming guests,” Airbnb told Scripps News in a written statement. “Safety is a consideration for anyone living or staying by water, and incidents on Airbnb are extremely rare. We recently launched an in-app feature that provides guests booking stays near water with safety tips. We also continue to work with partners on education campaigns and initiatives, including discounted pool fences for hosts, to promote safety around water.”
