We respectfully ask the Governor to share any factual data that substantiates why our lodging sector is singled out and shut down?
April 19, 2020
Governor DeSantis extended Executive Order 20 – 87 which negatively impacts the Florida vacation rental industry with an additional 20-day suspension of all bookings. While we understand the public safety approach to this emergency order and extension, we do have some serious concerns as the only hospitality sector singled out and restricted by its implementation. In the meantime, hotels, cruise ships, airports, and other lodging and transportation providers continue to operate without restrictions of this nature despite them posing a higher risk of spreading the virus.
Our industry generates almost $30 billion dollars each year and supports hundreds of small businesses and jobs for fellow Floridians with the operation of each home.
Unlike the big corporate hotels, our homes are managed and supported by dozens of landscapers, cleaning crews, maintenance workers and many more hard-working Florida residents who run small businesses.
In total, the Florida vacation rental industry supports hundreds of thousands of hard-working men and women all across the state. These small business owners don’t have the financial backing as a big corporate hotel does. They rely on working each day to earn a living.
We are very concerned that additional suspensions such as Executive Order 20-103, or longer of our industry will be detrimental to all of these workers and their families and create tremendous hardships in our communities across Florida.
With respect to safety concerns. Vacation rentals pose much less of a health threat than hotels do by the mere fact that vacation rentals are self-contained units that do not have the public and common areas that hotels do. Hotels, cruise ships and other public lodgings with numerous shared spaces, handrails, elevators, amenities, etc. are a breeding ground for the spread of this virus which the CDC clearly tells the public to avoid. Hotel guests are forced to leave rooms and forage for food, yet another cause for concern. Stand-alone vacation rental homes for this fact alone are the best public safety option in lodging.
We respectfully ask the Governor to share any factual data that substantiates why our lodging sector is singled out and shut down?
Does he have medical data and professional recommendations on health and safety concerns?
What statistics are available to show that other lodgings like hotels are safer?
If such data exists we would ask that it be made public. To date, nothing has been shared with the public regarding any concerns related to vacation rentals and the reasoning behind why we should be singled out and suspended as an industry.
Our industry continues to provide safe, clean public lodging to first responders, the medical industry and many more professionals during this time of crisis for all the reasons previously mentioned. These professionals chose vacation rentals because they rely on our product over hotels. If short term rental lodging is safe for these guests, why are they not for all Floridians and travelers looking for alternative accommodations?
We ask the Governor to reconsider and rescind his actions on 20-103 or at the very least share his data that led him to this very important decision which affects the lives of so many of his Florida constituents.