Senate passes bipartisan water‑safety bill for rental properties after amendment excluding nontransient apartments

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan water-safety bill Thursday that requires rental properties with pools or nearby water bodies to be equipped with at least one defined safety feature intended to reduce child drownings.

Senator Smith, a sponsor, said the legislation merges proposals to strengthen safeguards for short-term vacation rentals and long-term rental properties. Under the law, a rental with a water body on the premises must either have door/window exit alarms or self-closing and self-latching doors to exterior access. For properties with swimming pools, owners may choose one of those door-safety options or use a pool cover, a four-sided pool fence, or a flotation alarm as defined in statute.

The bill authorizes the Division of Hotels and Restaurants within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to adopt rules, require licensees to certify compliance and to suspend or revoke vacation-rental licenses for violations. A late amendment clarified the measure does not apply to nontransient apartments.

Advocates and sponsors cited state drowning data and the disproportionate share of fatal child drownings that occur in pools and rental settings. The Senate passed the committee substitute without objection (37 yays, 0 nays).

What’s next: The bill now goes to the House for consideration. DBPR will be tasked with rulemaking and an enforcement plan if the law is enacted.

Vote: Unanimous on the floor.