Steve Milo, founder and Managing Director for Vacation Rental Pros and member of the VRMA Board of Directors submitted the following editorial about proposed vacation rental legislation in the State of Florida. This legislation not only affects Florida vacation rental managers, but also vacation rental managers around the country. If Florida, the state who reaps the largest monetary benefit from short-term rentals in the U.S., is able to pass this type of restrictive legislation -at the state level – every vacation rental manager in every state in the U.S. must recognize they are in danger of having this repeated.
Recap: What is going on with Florida? Important legislation affecting vacation rentals
By Steve Milo
It’s me, the “town crier” as someone labeled me. Yes, I am passionate about the issue of Vacation Rental bans because I have seen first hand in Venice Florida what happens when a city goes from no limits on vacation rentals to a 30 day limit on vacation rentals. Let’s just say, It is not good for business as it reduces almost 70% of the rental income. Duration (rental minimum restrictions) is what this fight is about, and those burying their heads in the sand on this issue (like a large property manager company on Sanibel) are making a very poor business decision. It would be like if a Category 5 hurricane was on a path to strike your area in the next 72 hours. Everyone needs to take this very seriously.
For those property managers in the Orlando market and Florida Pan Handle market who do not think this issue effects them, keep in mind a “7 day minimum” and “grandfathering” is being discussed at the state level. This is NOT a compromise that will work and the FVRMA (Florida Vacation Rental Manager) lobbyist is working hard to make sure “duration limits” do not get put in the bill. Also, grandfathering should make property managers cringe as this means no new business, and will impact future real estate sales.
Please feel free to forward this email to any Property Manager, Property Owner, Vacation Rental employee, vendor, or the like in the state of Florida you know.
I was waiting to send this email when an audio tape of the February 4th, 2014, House Bill 307 committee meeting was available. A lot was said in this committee meeting (including talk of compromise), but this audio tape is still not available – which is quite frustrating.
I am going to ask you to read this entire email, because FVRMA (Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association) paid almost $50,000 for a critical “Florida Vacation Rental Impact Study” and to date only 32 property management companies have filled out this survey. We need 68 more surveys to bring our economic data to the Florida House and Senate leadership. If not, the Vacation Rental Economic Impact Study will not be published in time to help save our industry from rental limitations in the state of Florida.
First
I appreciate every property manager, owner, employee and vendor who wrote and emailed their Representatives between Friday through Monday. We understand that almost 1000 calls and emails were received by each office.
While House Bill 307 advanced in committee this week on 10-3 VOTE, there are legislators willing to stand up and advocate for our rights as property owners and Floridians against the Anti-Vacation Rental Bill. There are still 2 committees to go in the Florida House of Representatives and there are several Representatives who have voiced their desire for compromise. These future committee dates are not yet set, but we will alert you once they are scheduled.
Second
To continue to follow the progress of this bill, and to locate an audio and video tape when available please go to this link. (Note, an audio tape of the meeting is still not available. We will post it on this community web site as soon as it is published.) Please log-in and register. It will alert you when the Audio Tape is available. Plus, we are posting other information as it becomes available.
http://community.homeaway.com/ docs/DOC-3962
Third
There were several Florida Legislatures that need to be thanked. A proposed thank you message follows. We ask you to cut and paste the message – or use it as a guide for your own – then email it to the legislators listed below:
Message to send:
Dear Representative _____________
This week you stood up for me and all Floridians who are part of the state’s vacation rental industry. THANK YOU. By voting to oppose legislation that unfairly targets vacation rentals, you have demonstrated your support for the property rights of individuals and for an important part of Florida’s tourism sector. As consideration of the legislation continues, we would ask you to continue your commitment to oppose this bad bill. Just like me, thousands of people across Florida are grateful that you listened and are willing to help.
Our champions to thank this week are…
Senator Kelli Stargel Stargel.Kelli@flsenate.gov
Representative Mike La Rosa Mike.LaRosa@myfloridahouse.
Representative Greg Steube greg.steube@myfloridahouse.
Representative Carlos Trujillo carlos.trujillo@ myfloridahouse.gov
Fourth
FVRMA (Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association) needs money to continue to fund the lobbyist, PR firm, and Economic Study. Less than 1% of property managers have donated a dime. Can you at least donate something to help FVRMA?
https://secure.fvrma.org/
Fifth
Only 32 property managers (out of an estimate 2800 property managers) in the state of Florida have completed the “Survey” to allow Dale Brill to finish his Economic Impact Study on Vacation Rentals for the State of Florida I have listed the 32 companies who have completed this survey. If you or your company is not on the list, we need you to fill this out today. Please click on this link and fill it out
https://www.surveymonkey.com/
In preparation for the upcoming Florida Legislative Session beginning in March, the Florida Vacation Rental Management Association is conducting a brief survey as part of a first-ever calculation of the industry’s economic impact on the Florida tourism industry. The link below will take you to a short series of questions, which asks you to estimate annual expenditures made by and on behalf of your clients. Your answers will be compiled with those of other respondents and entered into a sophisticated economic model.
As a result, your answers will be not be associated with you or your clients individually. We will distribute the final results of the survey and the economic model in late February. This request is time sensitive. We have only a few days to collect and analyze your input. Please take a few moments now to provide your critical input by clicking on the link below (or pasting the address into your web browser) Please click on this link and fill it out
https://www.surveymonkey.com/
Thank you for these Property Managers who have filled this out.
1 ameliasurfandracquetclub.com
6 churchillpropertyservices.com
8 Floridakoshervillas.Com
9 FreewheelerVacations.com
15 HistoricHideaways.com
16 IslandReal.com
19 miavac.com
20 NaplesFloridaVacationHomes.com
23 perfectdriveatpgavillage.com
26 SterlingRealty.biz
28 stpeteclearwatervacationrental
30 VacationRentalPros.com
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