Pinellas County Vacation Rentals Permitted To Reopen With Restrictions

Press release from the Pinellas County Government:

May 20, 2020

Pinellas County has received approval from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) for short-term rentals to resume accepting reservations and check-ins for vacation rentals, effective immediately.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said vacation rentals could resume under “full Phase I” of his COVID-19 recovery plan, which took effect Monday, but counties first had to have a safety plan approved by the state. Pinellas County’s Short-Term Rentals Re-Opening Plan was approved Wednesday afternoon.

In a letter to DBPR, County Administrator Barry A. Burton pointed out that tourism supported more than 100,000 jobs and contributed more than $9 billion to the local economy in 2019, and the diversity of lodging is important to bringing back employment and visitors.

Safety first
Property owners and managers will receive a copy of the plan outlining safety and sanitation measures that must be followed to reopen. Reservations from areas identified by Gov. DeSantis as high risk must be for periods longer than the required quarantine period. Guests must be advised to practice CDC-recommended social distancing, and public seating must be situated, and common areas marked, to facilitate separation.

There are numerous other requirements listed under the categories Guest Safety/Health, Employee Safety/Hygiene, Property Cleanliness, Pools & Beaches and more.

Residents and businesses can read state and County orders and find more information about COVID-19 resources in Pinellas County by visiting https://covid19.pinellascounty.org.

This press release was produced by the Pinellas County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.