ANNA MARIA – Anna Maria Commission chair Carol Carter released a statement Monday afternoon regarding the city’s enforcement of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Executive Order 20-87, which temporarily suspends vacation rental operations in Florida.
“And so it seems that each Florida municipality responds to violations of ordinances and the governor’s executive orders in different ways,” Carter’s statement said.
“The leadership of the city of Anna Maria has taken the lead fighting for home rule rights over the past several years, especially focused on vacation rental properties which comprise 70%-plus of the residences in our small city. We don’t just philosophize in the good times, but we act in the worst of times. Now, we need to act decisively in preserving the health and welfare of our predominately elderly residential population, in the wake of the season of massive numbers of visitors from near and far,” Carter’s April 6 statement said.
“The city of Anna Maria has fought for home rule rights and now we are acting – we believe we can best be governed locally. Just as in post-hurricane situations, residents look to local authorities for help and they get it.
With that mandate, the city of Anna Maria – not a Tallahassee agency – is actively pursuing the offending vacation rental agencies and owners who are in violation of Governor DeSantis’ executive order forbidding both rental check-ins and new contracts after March 28. The state of Florida has few resources and no current interest in monitoring vacation rental violations in the city of Anna Maria as it grapples with the larger issues of funding for hospitals, testing and business recovery,” Carter’s statement said.
“In this time of crisis, Governor DeSantis has given the city of Anna Maria the opportunity to continue to act in the interest of our residents and their health and welfare. The city of Anna Maria accepts this responsibility,” Carter said in the statement she issued as the chair of the Anna Maria City Commission.
Anna Maria residents who have a concern about a potentially improper vacation rental operation are asked to call the city’s Code Enforcement Department at 941-708-6130, ext. 141, or send an email to depclerk@cityofannamaria.com.
On Saturday, the cities of Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach issued a shared public service announcement that explained how residents in those two cities can file a vacation rental complaint with the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR).
Governor’s order
DeSantis issued Executive Order (EO) 20-87 on March 27.
“I hereby order all parties engaged in the rental of vacation rental properties, as defined in Florida Statutes, to suspend vacation rental operations. Vacation rentals are prohibited from making new reservations or bookings and shall not accept new guests for check-in for the duration of this order,” the executive order says.
The governor’s order includes any house, condominium or dwelling unit that is used for rentals of less than 30 days and operating as a transient public lodging establishment as defined under Florida Statutes.
The governor’s order does not include hotels, motels, inns, resorts, non-transient public lodging establishments, timeshare projects or long-term rentals. Nor does it include rental stays for guests who were already occupying a vacation rental unit or who checked in no later than Saturday, March 28.
“The executive order shall expire in 14 days if extended by a subsequent order,” EO 20-87 says.
As of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, DeSantis had not extended the vacation rental order that is currently scheduled to expire this weekend.
Related coverage
Mayor requests temporary end to vacation rentals
Governor suspends vacation rentals
Anna Maria issues emergency order prohibiting vacation rental reservations
