Counties across of Tampa Bay can now operate short-term vacation rentals.
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation has approved plans by Pasco and Polk counties to accept reservations and check-ins, effective immediately.
They can now operate the rentals along with the following counties: Hillsborough, Pinellas, Hernando, and Citrus, Sarasota, Manatee, Highlands and DeSoto counties.
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As of Thursday, 50 of Florida’s 67 counties have been approved to operate short-term rentals. This includes the Florida Panhandle, Gulf Coast, Northeast Florida and Atlantic Coast.
Notable exceptions include Monroe County (for Florida Keys), and Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, where the coronavirus has been most prevalent in the state.
After discontinuing reservations in late March, Governor Ron DeSantis said vacation rentals could resume under the "full Phase I" of his COVID-19 recovery plan -- as long as counties had their safety plan approved by the state.
Property owners and managers must follow various safety and sanitation protocols, and guests must practice social distancing.
Reservations from areas DeSantis has identified as "high-risk" -- such as New York and New Jersey -- must be for periods longer than the required quarantine period.
For a complete list of the counties now allowing short-term vacation rentals, visit the Florida Department of Business And Professional Regulation website.
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