Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills on Monday that allow hotels and business property owners to have police remove squatters.
Under SB 606, police can remove a person from a hotel and arrest them after receiving a written notice that they need to leave if they fail to check out on time and refuse to pay for their stay. Similarly, SB 322 allows a business space owner to submit a form to the local sheriff to remove someone unlawfully occupying the property without a lease.
“What we’ve seen is hotel guests just not pay and squat in the hotel,” DeSantis said during the bill signing ceremony in Sarasota. “This forces the owner of the hotel to go through basically a traditional eviction process.”
Retail property owners will have to pay the sheriff’s office for serving the removal notice to the people squatting and for law enforcement to stay while the people leave. However, the alleged squatter can sue for wrongful removal and collect damages if any of their belongings are damaged, and recover their attorney fees.
Both measures go into effect on July 1.
Hotels and restaurants will have to inform guests about any service charges, such as automatic tips, on their menus and receipts under the bill sponsored by St. Augustine Republican Tom Leek.
Gil Reyes, Suncoast chapter president of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and general manager of the hotel where the ceremony took place, thanked the governor for signing the bill.
“This legislation is a win for Florida’s hospitality industry,” he said. “It brings our laws in line with current practices, offers clear guidance, and supports both property rights and consumer understanding again.”
