The Florida Senate

HB 1471: Housing

GENERAL BILL by Harris

Housing; Creates Department of Housing & Tenant Rights; provides requirements for rental agreements; prohibits landlords from requiring prospective tenants to pay certain fees; revises & specifies grounds for termination of rental agreement; authorizes tenants, mobile home owners, mobile home tenants, & mobile home occupants who are defendants in eviction proceedings to file motion with court to have records of such proceedings sealed & to have their names substituted on progress docket; requires landlord to give tenants opportunity to purchase dwelling unit or premises; prohibits landlord from evicting tenant or terminating rental agreement because tenant or tenant's minor child is victim of actual or threatened domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking; prohibits purchase of single-family homes for specified purpose; authorizes civil investigations & actions; authorizes award of certain relief; authorizes local governments & special districts to adopt specified impact fee; authorizes municipalities to create community land bank programs; requires certain municipalities to develop & annually adopt community land bank plan; authorizes land banks to buy certain property for less than market value; requires land banks to offer qualified organizations right of first refusal to purchase certain property; provides that rental of certain homestead property does not constitute abandonment; creates Retail-to-residence Tax Credit Program & Affordable Housing Construction Loan Program.