AAHOA Chairman and AAHOA Secretary Convene with Florida House & Senate Leadership to Discuss Short-Term Rental Legislation

On Tuesday, February 13, AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel and AAHOA Secretary Rahul Patel convened with Florida House & Senate Leadership, including Speaker-Designate Daniel Perez, to address concerns regarding short-term rental legislation and the escalating costs of commercial insurance premiums in Florida.

The matter of short-term rental legislation has been under scrutiny in Tallahassee for over five years. The proponents are supportive of Senate Bill 280, spearheaded by Senator Nick DiCeglie, which aims to enhance platform accountability and ensure that all short-term rentals secure a license and fulfill their tax obligations. Advocates of Senate Bill 280 are seeking for House Bill 1537 to be amended to mirror the Senate version.

AAHOA applauds the efforts of the Florida Legislature in mitigating insurance rates for personal property. Nonetheless, hoteliers persist in facing challenges in acquiring and renewing insurance policies due to the surge in expenses. 

• A recent survey sent earlier this month involving 125 Florida hoteliers representing 570 hotels, revealed that nearly 90% encountered significant hurdles in renewing or securing commercial insurance since June 2023. 
• Moreover, approximately 75% of these hoteliers reported a premium increase of 40% or more. 

Continued engagement with legislators is anticipated to explore potential resolutions to this issue.

See photos below: