Escambia County Submits Plan To Reopen Short-Term Vacation Rentals

May 17, 2020

UPDATE: This plan was approved Tuesday, May 19. Click or tap here for an update.

Friday night, Escambia County submitted a short-term vacation rental reopening plan to the state for possible implementation as early as Monday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday that counties could submit their own plans to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation for approval. In March, DeSantis suspending short-term vacation rental bookings.

The ban was extended indefinitely under  his first phase reopening plan. But he left the door open for individual counties.

“What we’re doing is telling counties, if you want short-term rentals, you request it to be authorized through the state and provide your safety plan,” he said in Jacksonville Friday as he announced his “Full Phase One” reopening plan.

“We are thankful Governor DeSantis recognized the importance of short-term vacation rentals to our community yesterday during his press conference,” said County Administrator Janice Gilley said Saturday. “This short-term vacation rental plan was created with input from county commissioners and members of ESF-18 such as the Greater Pensacola Chamber, Visit Pensacola and the DMO. We hope for approval by Sunday for implementation on Monday, May 18.”

Under Escambia County’s plan, reservations and stays will be allowed from U.S. states with a COVID-19 case rate less than 700 cases per 100,000 residents as of May 15. Reservations from COVID-19 hotpots identified by the governor, such as New York, New Jersey and New Orleans, will be avoided for the next 30-45 days, and no reservations from international travelers will be allowed.

To read Escambia County’s complete plan, click here.

Comments

3 Responses to “Escambia County Submits Plan To Reopen Short-Term Vacation Rentals”

  1. BRING IT ON on May 20th, 2020 5:22 am

    If I had vacation rentals I certainly wouldn’t seek the advice from the state on how to conduct business, they absolutely are not capable of implementing any kind of plan. What remaining business owners that will come back should be on the look out of how they’re going to cope with higher taxes and fees that the state will be laying on them down the road, it’s inevitable. By the due to the I’ll fated shutdown the prediction is that one third of the businesses won’t come back. My hats off to all of you in government.

  2. William Reynolds on May 19th, 2020 11:27 am

    >>Has this been pan been accepted by the state for escambia county?

    Not yet

    UPDATE: Now it has been approved.

    State Approves Escambia County Short-Term Vacation Rental Plan

  3. Don Foust on May 19th, 2020 11:26 am

    Has this been pan been accepted by the state for escambia county?

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News