🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Florida
Florida to Tighten STR Pool Rules After Rising Child Drownings
New Rules for Safer Stays: Florida Pushes STR Pool Protections
Florida lawmakers are turning their attention to vacation rental safety as child drownings continue to climb statewide. With 112 drownings reported as of December 2nd, already exceeding last year’s total. Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith is pushing a legislative package that would create stronger pool-safety standards in short-term rentals.
The spotlight lands heavily on Senate Bill 608, a proposal aimed directly at short-term vacation rentals. The bill would require every licensed rental with a swimming pool to add at least one safety feature. That could mean a self-closing gate, an alarm, or another approved safety layer meant to keep children from accessing the pool unsupervised.
This issue has become increasingly pressing as state investigators report that 12 of this year’s drownings occurred in short-term rentals, settings where families are often unfamiliar with the home’s layout or unaware of how quickly a child can access the water. The urgency is amplified by data from the National Autism Association showing that children with autism face dramatically higher drowning risks, making consistent safety measures even more critical.
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Smith notes that many travelers assume vacation rentals already follow strict pool-safety expectations, but that’s not the case. Unlike hotels, short-term rentals operate with relatively loose statewide standards, and hosts are generally not required to add any special safety features unless local regulations demand it. SB 608 aims to establish a simple baseline so families aren’t left guessing about the safety setup in the homes they rent.
The short-term rental bill is part of a broader effort that also includes educational outreach for new parents (SB 606) and updated requirements for older residential pools during property transfers (SB 610). But SB 608 is the proposal most directly tied to the fast-changing world of vacation rentals—a sector that has grown rapidly across Florida’s coastal regions.
Smith says the goal is straightforward: to prevent tragedies before they happen. He emphasizes that many of these safety measures are low-cost but high-impact, especially when families are visiting homes that aren’t their own. For parents like Samantha Begle, whose toddler survived a near-drowning earlier this year—the legislation feels long overdue, bringing attention to risks that often go unnoticed until it’s too late.
If SB 608 passes, short-term rental hosts will need to bring their properties up to a consistent safety standard by installing at least one approved pool-safety layer. The change could reshape expectations for rental operators and offer peace of mind for the millions of families who vacation in Florida each year.
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