HB 79 — Water Safety Requirements for the Rental of Residential Property

F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 79 2026 A bill to be entitled An act relating to water safety requirements for the rental of residential property;

amending ss.s.

83.51509.211, and 515.27, F.S.;

requiring thata certainvacation dwellingrental units,licensee premises,to andequip residentialcertain propertyrental beunits equipped with specified poolwater safety requirements;features;

providing afor criminalcivil penalty;liability;

providing an exception;

providing definitions;

9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

Subsection (4)(6) of section 83.51, Florida Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (5), and a new subsection (4) is added to thatsection section,509.211, Florida Statutes, to read:

83.51509.211 Landlord'sSafety obligationregulations.— to(6)(a) maintain premises.— (4) If a dwellingpublic unitlodging hasestablishment alicensed residentialas swimming pool or the premises have access to a standingvacation bodyrental ofhas, water within 150 yardsfeet of the dwellingrental unit, thea landlordwater mustbody ensureor thatswimming thepool, dwelling unit is equipped with at least one of the safetylicensee featuresmust requiredensure underthat: s.

515.27(1)1. at all times when the dwelling unit is being rented.

AAll landlorddoors whoand violateswindows thisthat subsectionprovide commitsdirect aaccess misdemeanorto the exterior of the secondrental degree,unit punishableor asto providedan inindoor s.swimming pool within the rental unit are equipped with an exit alarm that has a minimum sound pressure rating of 85 dB A at 10 feet;

775.082 or s.2.

775.083.All doors that provide direct access to the exterior of the rental unit or to an indoor swimming pool within the rental unit are equipped with a self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism placed at least 54 inches above the floor.

Section 2.

Subsection (3) is added to section 515.27, Florida Statutes, to read:

515.27 Residential swimming pool safety feature options;

hb79-00hb79-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 79 2026 penalties.—(b) (3) A personlicensee who offersviolates hisparagraph or(a) heris residentialliable propertyto fora rentguest andof suchthe propertypublic haslodging aestablishment residentialfor swimmingsuch poolguest's oractual accessdamages toincurred adue standingto bodythe ofviolation, waterunless withinthe 150violation yardsis ofdue to the propertyremoval mustor ensuremodification thatof theany propertysafety isfeature equippedrequired withunder paragraph (a) by or at leastthe onerequest of the safetyguest, featuresa requiredmember byof subsectionthe (1)guest's atfamily, allor timesa whenperson on the propertypremises isof beingthe rented.rental unit with the guest's consent.

A(c) personAs whoused violatesin this subsectionsubsection, commits a misdemeanor of the secondterm: degree, punishable as provided in s.

775.0821. or s.

775.083."Swimming pool" has the same meaning as in s.

Section515.25. 3.

2.

"Vacation rental" has the same meaning as in s.

509.242(1)(c).

3.

"Water body" means any water or body of water that is regularly at a depth of at least 24 inches at its deepest point.

The term does not include underground water that cannot be accessed by a person from an access point located within 150 feet of the rental unit.

Section 2.

hb79-00hb79-01-c1