ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida House on Wednesday voted on a bill that could throw local rent rules imposed in Orange County.
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If signed into law, the bill would trump any local government efforts to regulate landlord and tenant relationships.
It means Orange County’s Tenant Bill of Rights and the protections granted that would no longer be valid.
The vote Wednesday came after fierce debate on the contents of the bill, mostly focused on whether representatives believed local governments like Orange County should have say when it comes to regulating renters and landlords.
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It happened just two months after Orange County opened its new Office of Tenant Services, a biproduct of Orange County’s Tenant Bill of Rights which ordered landlords to be up front about their fees, give proper notice when hiking rent more than 5% and stated landlords couldn’t discriminate based on how a tenant earned their living.
“These are basic consumer protections, are very modest, that are now going to be eliminated if the governor signs this into law,” Rep. Anna Eskamani said.
The bill’s sponsor, Tiffany Esposito, said it’s about protecting both parties.
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Orange County Commissioner Emily Bonilla called it “very frustrating.”
“We’re trying to do everything we can to help our residents,” she said. “And whenever we get one step ahead, they preempt us and push us backward again.”
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Bonilla said if the bill is signed into law, that office will be able to continue. However, it loses a lot of its enforcement power. The goal of that office would then shift to be primarily educational.
To date, the office has held more than a dozen community meetings to teach residents about landlord and tenant laws.
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