2025 Legislative Session Kicks Off

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s lawmakers return to the capital today to begin work on the 2025 legislative session and tackle issues crucial to home and property ownership and the continuing work of Realtors®.

Legislators have more than 1,800 bills prepared for the 60 day session. Those bills passed during the session, which ends May 2, will be reviewed by the governor for approval or veto. Some of the bills directly impact Florida Realtors® 2025 legislative priorities, including affordable housing and private property rights, such as:

• Senate Bill 184/House Bill 47 would require local governments to allow accessory dwelling units in areas zoned for single-family residential use, gives density bonus incentives to landowners who help with affordable housing and requires an Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability(OPPAGA ) study to evaluate mezzanine financing and tiny homes to make housing more affordable, among other provisions.
• Senate Bill 606/House Bill 535 would make it easier for hotels and vacation rentals to remove problem guests by clarifying when a stay is temporary, setting clear removal rules and allowing police to arrest guests who refuse to leave.
• Senate Bill 322/House Bill 213 would help commercial property owners remove illegal squatters more easily by letting them file complaints with the sheriff, allowing immediate evictions, increasing penalties for property damage, and preventing fake property listings.

Florida Realtors’ priorities also include: 

Preserve and protect Florida’s state parks

Florida Realtors supports the preservation and protection of our state parks and their natural resources. The natural beauty and environmental uniqueness of Florida’s 175 state parks have helped the state become one of the top destinations in the world to both live and visit. Preserving and protecting the wildlife, water quality and natural resources within these state parks is essential if they are to continue to serve their intended purpose of attracting visitors and providing residents with improved quality of life. 

During the 2025 session, Florida Realtors will work with lawmakers to oppose development within our state parks that causes adverse and lasting impact on our natural habitat.

Limit NFIP lookback periods for substantial damage and improvements

Local government adoption of National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) lookback periods is little known or understood by the public. In some instances, lookback periods can prevent homeowners from repairing or improving their homes unless the entire structure is brought into full compliance with current flood regulations and may include elevating the structure. Lookback periods can lead to modest flood insurance premium discounts for policyholders, but they are also linked to decreases in home values. Longer lookback periods can also reduce the likelihood of renovations and efforts to harden homes to withstand wind damage.

Due to the negative impacts of NFIP lookback periods, Florida Realtors supports legislation during the 2025 session that caps/limits lookback periods for “substantial damage” and “substantial improvements”.

Support the Hometown Heroes Housing Program

Florida Realtors applauds the work of the Florida Legislature for creating and supporting the highly successful Hometown Heroes Housing Program. Since 2022, the program has helped more than 20,000 hard-working Floridians purchase their first home through zero-interest loans that help cover downpayment and closing costs. Borrowers repay the loan when the home is sold, refinanced, rented or transferred.

The Legislature’s $300 million overall investment in the popular homebuying assistance program continues to be an overwhelming success. The most recent allocation of $100 million was fully reserved by eager homebuyers in less than two months of becoming available.

First-time buyers continue to struggle to achieve the dream of homeownership. Help is needed now more than ever. Florida Realtors asks lawmakers to explore additional ways to inject new funds into the program.

Preserve beneficial attainable workforce housing strategies

The Florida Legislature achieved a remarkable feat in 2023 with the passage of the Live Local Act, the most comprehensive and far-reaching housing legislation in the last three decades. This historic law makes significant long-term investments in state homebuying and affordable rental housing while incentivizing private investment in state housing programs. 

As with all major legislation, adjustments may be needed to ensure that unintended consequences do not hinder the efforts of the act to help Floridians find a place to live close to where they work. As the Legislature examines the Live Local Act for possible adjustments, Florida Realtors asks that lawmakers strive to preserve the innovative strategies and funding that it employs to increase attainable housing options throughout the state.

We also ask that lawmakers consider additional options that may enhance the beneficial outcomes of the Live Local Act, such as enabling the creation of more Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in our communities. This unique housing option has the dual benefit of providing low-cost housing opportunities for Floridians while also potentially providing property owners with additional sources of revenue to improve their lives.

Support the My Safe Florida Home and My Safe Florida Condo Programs

We commend lawmakers for supporting home hardening efforts like the My Safe Florida Home (MSFH) program and the My Safe Florida Condo (MSFC) pilot program. Since 2022, the MSFH program provided free wind mitigation home inspections and matching grants so eligible homeowners can fortify their homes against hurricanes.

As of October of 2024, the MSFH program has delivered $576 million in grant funding and has provided 109,000 free home inspections. These inspections resulted in the approval of 58,700 home hardening grants which, in turn, helped lower the insurance premium costs of grant participants by an average of $1,000 while also making homes better able to withstand storm events. 

The MSFH program is so popular that newly allocated funds ran out in three months of becoming available. Similarly, the launch of the 2024 MSFC pilot program, which provides hardening grants for condominiums, saw its $30 million of pilot funding run out in one week of becoming available.

Given the demonstrated need for home hardening efforts in the state, Florida Realtors asks lawmakers to support additional funding for the MSFH and MSFC programs. Additional funding for the programs will allow more Floridians to protect their homes from storms and reduce their insurance premiums.

Continue reducing the business rent tax

Florida Realtors praises the actions of previous Legislatures that lowered the state sales tax rate on commercial leases, known as the business rent tax, to 2%. Although reduced from its previous high of 6%, the tax continues to create a financial burden for any business that leases space — from the local restaurant or nail salon to large retail stores. Moreover, municipalities and local governments often levy additional local option taxes on top of the state sales tax rate, further inflating the burden.

Small businesses, which comprise almost 99% of all Florida employers, are disproportionately impacted by this tax because they are more likely to rent their location. Lowering and eventually eliminating the business rent tax will provide Florida businesses capital to expand, hire more employees, improve benefits and raise salaries.

Given the positive impact of lowering the business rent tax, Florida Realtors asks lawmakers to support legislation and budget initiatives to further reduce and eliminate this tax so business owners have capital to grow their operations and reinvest in their local communities.  

Continue to support water quality efforts

Our springs, rivers, oceans and other natural wonders are the foundation of our communities. They must be protected if Florida wants to remain one of the fastest growing and environmentally rich states in the nation. Thankfully, the Florida Legislature invests hundreds of millions of dollars annually in programs to maintain and improve water quality throughout the state. 

Florida Realtors asks lawmakers to fund programs that protect the Everglades, springs and beaches. We also ask that they continue to support programs that address rising sea levels in our coastal communities, reduce the negative impact of blue-green algae on our waterways and mitigate the impact of failing septic systems on water quality without negatively impacting private property rights.

Monitor the effectiveness of ongoing property insurance reforms

Florida Realtors commends the Florida Legislature for taking unprecedented steps during the December 2022 Special Session to stabilize Florida’s challenging property insurance market. The 2023 Legislature increased consumer protections and insurer accountability, and the 2024 Legislature enacted a modest reduction in the cost of most Florida insurance premiums.

These comprehensive insurance reforms are working. Continued updates by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation indicate 1) new property insurers are entering Florida’s market; 2) the number of Citizens Property Insurance policyholders is decreasing; 3) reinsurers across the globe are meeting the reinsurance needs of Florida’s property insurers; and 4) insurer-related litigation is slowing.

While encouraging, the average property insurance premium remains high, presenting an ongoing barrier to achieving and maintaining the dream of homeownership. Florida Realtors asks lawmakers to continue monitoring the reforms’ effectiveness, explore additional remedies that can speed up this process and seek additional solutions to provide relief to policyholders.

Uphold condominium safety and affordability

The tragic June 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside highlighted the need to comprehensively reform existing condominium laws. Lawmakers answered the call by passing a series of reforms aimed at increasing the safety of these buildings as well as ensuring that prospective purchasers are better informed about the building’s physical and financial condition. 

Included in these reforms were new statewide “milestone inspection” requirements, structural integrity reserve studies, mandatory reserves and revised seller disclosures.

Although these reforms are necessary to protect the condominium unit owners’ and visitors’ safety and welfare, they can make owing a condominium more expensive.

With these challenges in mind, Florida Realtors asks lawmakers to consider measures that uphold new condominium safety measures and provide unit owners with options to tackle the significant costs associated with the reforms.  

Protect private property rights

Renting your home is a fundamental right of private property owners. Vacation rental units have also become a critical part of Florida’s successful tourism economy, producing billions of dollars of economic activity each year. Despite this, many local governments continue to enact overly burdensome ordinances designed to discourage property owners from exercising their right to rent their property.

In 2025, Florida Realtors encourages lawmakers to support legislation to implement reasonable regulations to address local concerns while still allowing the industry to thrive. This would create a more balanced approach, ensuring both vacation rental owners and local governments can benefit from Florida's vacation rental market. 

© 2025 Florida Realtors®