Tourism is an industry no longer contained on resorts and hotel properties. But a ban on short-term rentals issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis early in the pandemic impacted the sector significantly. Just ahead of Memorial Day weekend, the state approved plans from Sarasota and Manatee counties to bring the business back online.

Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota County, said rentals make up a significant part of tourism tax revenue in Sarasota County, so it was important to pull together a plan that could win state approval and bring those rooms back online.

“We knew that there was good demand from visitors, especially locals going into the holiday weekend, for these businesses that have been totally shut down since April 1,” she said. 

And Haley noted that vacation rentals are often owned by individuals who rely on the income in their day-to-day lives. “Many of these units are owned by retires who invested in them as part of their nest egg,” she said. “I’m glad we were able to open in a safe and cautious way.” 

There are plenty of catches. Officials in Manatee County announced temporary regulations on rentals including restricting bookings to U.S. residents from states with a COVID-19 infection rate of less than 700 cases per 100,000 residents.  Social distancing guidelines must be spelled out clearly to guests, and specific cleanliness measures must be implemented by landlords.

“Because vacation rentals have been closed during the pandemic, we’re asking that vacation rental managers take extra precautions to make sure their renters have access to and follow the guidelines in the approved plan,” said Manatee County Administrator Cheryl Coryea. “[Owners] should ensure that their renters are aware and abide by the approved plan, but also any municipal restrictions where the rental is located.”

Similar restrictions exist in Sarasota as well. The availability of rentals has been controversial at the state level, and not something DeSantis included in initial Phase One reopening on May 4. Involving the encouragement of travel from visitors from outside the state, the Department of Business Development and Regulation has continued to carefully review county plans and approving them on an individual basis.