Vacation Property Owners Get OK To Resume Rentals In Pinellas

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — After watching their vacation properties sit empty for weeks and their bank balances bottoming out, vacation rental property owners in Pinellas County were relieved to get the OK to rent to vacationers again.

Pinellas County is one of the first counties in the state to receive approval to allow property owners to resume renting out vacation properties.

Short-term rentals were banned during the coronavirus shutdowns in an effort to prevent visitors to Florida who had the coronavirus, although hotels, motels, inns and timeshares were allowed to stay open with restrictions.

The incongruity prompted Jeff and Gina Paglialonga, vacation rental property owners and owners of Teeming Vacation Rentals, a vacation rental management company that manages hundreds of vacation rentals in Florida, to initiate legal action against the state.

This week, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation gave Pinellas County approval for short-term rentals to resume accepting reservations and check-ins for vacation rentals, effective immediately.

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Although Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said vacation rentals could resume under his full Phase I coronavirus recovery plan, which took effect Monday, counties were required to submit safety plans for approval by the state.

Pinellas County’s Short-Term Rentals Re-Opening Plan was approved Wednesday afternoon

Clearwater property owner Deb Schultz said her vacation rentals are her only income. After hiring an attorney, she said she began accepting rentals for June, July and August even before Pinellas County made the announcement.

"We figured we'd take reservations and if he (DeSantis) extended the ban, we'd cancel them," she said.

In a letter to the state, 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. He told the state that the diversity of lodging is critical to bringing back employment and visitors.

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.

Additionally, property owners and managers must advise guests to practice social distancing, and public seating must be arranged and marked to allow 6 feet of separation.

See related stories:

• Vacation Rental Property Owners Sue State For Coronavirus Losses
• Tampa Woman Accused Of Violating Orders By Renting Home For Party