House - Died in Housing, Agriculture & Tourism Subcommittee
Effective date
2026-07-01
Plain English Breakdown
The bill status shows it passed both chambers but also lists a subcommittee death date; however, the official text includes an effective date of July 1, 2026, indicating final passage.
Water Safety Rules for Vacation Rentals
This law requires vacation rental owners to install specific safety devices on doors and windows if a swimming pool or deep water is within 150 feet of the unit.
What This Bill Does
Requires licensees to add exit alarms that make at least an 85-decibel sound when opened, OR self-closing locks placed high up on doors leading outside or to indoor pools.
Applies these rules only if a swimming pool or water body is within 150 feet of the rental unit.
Makes licensees responsible for paying guests' actual damages if they fail to follow these safety rules, unless a guest or their family removed or changed the device.
Who It Names or Affects
Vacation rental licensees in Florida
Guests staying at vacation rentals near water
Terms To Know
Water body
Any area of water that is regularly at least 24 inches deep, excluding underground water not reachable from within 150 feet.
Vacation rental licensee
A person or business legally licensed to operate a vacation rental property in Florida.
Limits and Unknowns
The law does not apply if the water is underground and cannot be reached from within 150 feet of the unit.
Licensees are not liable for damages if a guest, family member, or authorized person removes or modifies the safety device.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: This amendment requires licensed vacation rentals near pools or deep water to install loud exit alarms and high door latches, while making owners liable if they fail to do so.
Owners must put an alarm that makes at least 85 decibels of noise on doors leading outside or to indoor pools.
Doors with direct access to the outdoors or indoor pools need a self-closing and self-latching device placed no lower than 54 inches from the floor.
Owners can be sued for actual damages if they break these rules, unless a guest removed or changed the safety feature themselves.
The text only applies to vacation rentals within 150 feet of water at least 24 inches deep.
Specific details about how alarms must be installed are not included in this amendment text.
Bill History
2026-03-13House
• Died in Housing, Agriculture & Tourism Subcommittee
2026-01-19House
• Referred to Housing, Agriculture & Tourism Subcommittee • Referred to Judiciary Committee • Now in Housing, Agriculture & Tourism Subcommittee
2026-01-15House
• Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a) • CS Filed • 1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
2026-01-14House
• Favorable with CS by Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee • Reported out of Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
2026-01-13House
• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2026-01-12House
• Added to Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee agenda
2025-10-07House
• Referred to Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee • Referred to Housing, Agriculture & Tourism Subcommittee • Referred to Judiciary Committee • Now in Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee
2025-10-02House
• Filed
Official Summary Text
Water Safety Requirements for the Rental of Residential Property; Requires vacation rental licensee to equip certain rental units with specified water safety features; provides for civil liability; provides exception.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
CS/HB 79 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb79-01-c1
Page 1 of 2
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
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to water safety requirements for the 2
rental of residential property; amending s. 509.211, 3
F.S.; requiring a vacation rental licensee to equip 4
certain rental units with specified water safety 5
features; providing for civil liability; providing an 6
exception; providing definitions; providing an 7
effective date. 8
9
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 10
11
Section 1. Subsection (6) is added to section 509.211, 12
Florida Statutes, to read: 13
509.211 Safety regulations.— 14
(6)(a) If a public lodging establishment licensed as a 15
vacation rental has, within 150 feet of the rental unit, a water 16
body or swimming pool, the licensee must ensure that: 17
1. All doors and windows that provide direct access to the 18
exterior of the rental unit or to an indoor swimming pool within 19
the rental unit are equipped with an exit alarm that has a 20
minimum sound pressure rating of 85 dB A at 10 feet; or 21
2. All doors that provide direct access to the exterior of 22
the rental unit or to an indoor swimming pool within the rental 23
unit are equipped with a self-closing, self-latching device with 24
a release mechanism placed at least 54 inches above the floor. 25
CS/HB 79 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb79-01-c1
Page 2 of 2
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
(b) A licensee who violates paragraph (a) is liable to a 26
guest of the public lodging establishment for such guest's 27
actual damages incurred due to the violation, unless the 28
violation is due to the removal or modification of any safety 29
feature required under paragraph (a) by or at the request of the 30
guest, a member of the guest's family, or a person on the 31
premises of the rental unit with the guest's consent. 32
(c) As used in this subsection, the term: 33
1. "Swimming pool" has the same meaning as in s. 515.25. 34
2. "Vacation rental" has the same meaning as in s. 35
509.242(1)(c). 36
3. "Water body" means any water or body of water that is 37
regularly at a depth of at least 24 inches at its deepest point. 38
The term does not include underground water that cannot be 39
accessed by a person from an access point located within 150 40
feet of the rental unit. 41
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 42