Florida Renters Could See Costs Rise and Lose Rights Under GOP Bills

The bill would remove protections for certain rent increases, allow landlords to discriminate based on a prospective renter’s source of income, and rescind other safeguards for tenants.

It was believed that if you could not buy a home in Florida, you could at least rent a piece of paradise in the Sunshine State. But even that possibility is fast becoming a thing of the past for people like Flora González.

González lives in Homestead and works as a nanny, but the surging cost of rent in her community forced her to move out of her apartment. She’s temporarily staying with her daughter while she looks for a new apartment.

“I’m now looking for a place I can afford, but [landlords] can ask whatever they want [for rent], and the same goes for the deposit. They are asking for three months. It’s outrageous,” González told Floricua.

Florida currently ranks dead last of all 50 states in the country in housing affordability, with 56.5% of renters spending 30% or more of their income on housing. The cities of Miami, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville among the top 20 US cities with the fastest climbing rent prices. 

But even residents of smaller communities are seeing their rental costs soar.

Joanna Leydi, a manicurist in Kendall, saw her rent rise by $900 in one fell swoop.

“And I’m one of the lucky ones. Some people see their rent rise by 30% or more,” she told Floricua. “You end up having to cut costs in other areas, and it’s difficult when you have children.”

In recent years, Florida has experienced a surge in migration, with people from across the country moving to the state for its beaches, its mild year-round climate and its lack of a state income tax. But for long-time residents like González, the state’s growing affordable housing crisis means they may have to move out of state because they can no longer afford to pay rent in the place they call home.

“As much as I hate to think about it, I may end up having to leave the state,” González said.

RELATED: Republican-Backed Bill Could Let Companies Cut Wages for Thousands of Workers Across Florida

Protections Could Soon Disappear

As rental costs have skyrocketed in recent years, dozens of cities and counties across the state have been passing ordinances, or tenants’ “bill of rights,” to give some protections to renters. But those protections could soon disappear like Florida spring dogwoods in winter, due to a Republican-backed bill that is likely to become law in the coming days.

HB 1417 has passed both the Senate and the House and is ready for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature. The governor’s signature would repeal all those ordinances by taking away local control of the regulation of residential rentals, and giving that power to the state. In other words: the new state-level legislation would undo dozens of local laws around the state that help protect renters. HB 1417 would: 

• Block local governments from creating any kind of local rent control measures.
• Extend the notice period for tenants who wish to terminate month-to-month leases from 15 days’ notice to 30 days’ notice. For tenants with a specific lease duration, rental agreements can’t require less than 30 days’ notice or more than 60 days’ notice of termination. Current law requires tenants provide more than 60 days’ notice before ending a lease.
• Dissolve Tenants’ Bill of Rights ordinances, which provide basic consumer protections like requiring landlords to give more notice before they raise the rent.
• End protections from discrimination based on a prospective renter’s source of income.

RELATED: Why Can’t Florida Fix Its Housing Crisis? The GOP Legislature Won’t Use This Program.

Unsurprisingly, the legislation is supported by the Florida Apartment Association, the Florida Realtors Association, and other real-estate industry lobbying groups. 

Democrats argue the measure is another blow to tenant rights in Florida and proposed 23 different amendments to the bill, including one from Jacksonville Democratic Rep. Angie Nixon that would have capped rent increases to 10%. Other proposed amendments were purely symbolic, including one by Tampa Bay area Rep. Michelle Rayner-Goolsby, who proposed to rename the legislation the “End of Local Freedoms Act.”

All amendments failed to pass or were ruled out of order.

Lawmakers also approved another bill (House Bill 133) that gives landlords the right to charge perpetual, uncapped and non-refundable fees instead of upfront and refundable security deposits.