State regulations extended stay

The State of Florida oversees all businesses operating within the state under regulations established in the state's code of laws, which is called the Florida Statutes. The Florida Statutes regulate all aspects of Miami accommodations, which are called "public lodging establishments" in the text of these laws.

Under the Florida Statutes, all Miami accommodations need to be registered at the state level and assess their guest’s sales taxes, which are then paid to the state. The law also requires that companies involved in Miami lodging rentals be properly licensed with the state. To enforce the laws for Miami lodging facilities, the State conducts regular inspections at rented properties. During inspections, state agents examine the interiors and exteriors of facilities to ensure that they are properly maintained and that rental rate information is being properly displayed. Of course the DBPR acts mainly on legal Miami lodging facilities, meaning for lodging that are properly licensed by the state.

Guests that are not satisfied with lodging rentals in Miami can complain to the Florida DBPR, the state authority that oversees Miami public establishments. Operators who receive an excessive amount of complaints that are not properly resolved face disciplinary action, including revocation of their licenses.

To learn more about public lodging establishments, please read the following in the Florida Statutes

Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
(1)"Division" means the Division of Hotels and Restaurants of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
(2)"Operator" means the owner, licensee, proprietor, lessee, manager, assistant manager, or appointed agent of a public lodging establishment or public food service establishment.
(3)"Guest" means any patron, customer, tenant, lodger, boarder, or occupant of a public lodging establishment or public food service establishment.
(4)(a)"Public lodging establishment" includes a transient public lodging establishment as defined in subparagraph 1. and a nontransient public lodging establishment as defined in subparagraph 2.

1. "Transient public lodging establishment" means any unit, group of units, dwelling, building, or group of buildings within a single complex of buildings which is rented to guests more than three times in a calendar year for periods of less than 30 days or 1 calendar month, whichever is less, or which is advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented to guests.
2. "Nontransient public lodging establishment" means any unit, group of units, dwelling, building, or group of buildings within a single complex of buildings which is rented to guests for periods of at least 30 days or 1 calendar month, whichever is less, or which is advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented to guests for periods of at least 30 days or 1 calendar month.
   License classifications of public lodging establishments, and the definitions therefor, are set out in s. 509.242. For the purpose of licensure, the term does not include condominium common elements as defined in s. 718.103.

(b)The following are excluded from the definitions in paragraph (a):

1. Any dormitory or other living or sleeping facility maintained by a public or private school, college, or university for the use of students, faculty, or visitors;
2. Any facility certified or licensed and regulated by the Agency for Health Care Administration or the Department of Children and Family Services or other similar place regulated under s. 381.0072;
3. Any place renting four rental units or less, unless the rental units are advertised or held out to the public to be places that are regularly rented to transients;
4. 4Any unit or group of units in a condominium, cooperative, or timeshare plan and any individually or collectively owned one-family, two-family, three-family, or four-family dwelling house or dwelling unit that is rented for periods of at least 30 days or 1 calendar month, whichever is less, and that is not advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented for periods of less than 1 calendar month, provided that no more than four rental units within a single complex of buildings are available for rent;
5. Any migrant labor camp or residential migrant housing permitted by the Department of Health under ss. 381.008-381.00895;
6. Any establishment inspected by the Department of Health and regulated by chapter 513; and
7. Any nonprofit organization that operates a facility providing housing only to patients, patients’ families, and patients’ caregivers and not to the general public.

(5)(a)"Public food service establishment" means any building, vehicle, place, or structure, or any room or division in a building, vehicle, place, or structure where food is prepared, served, or sold for immediate consumption on or in the vicinity of the premises; called for or taken out by customers; or prepared prior to being delivered to another location for consumption.
(b)The following are excluded from the definition in paragraph (a):

1. Any place maintained and operated by a public or private school, college, or university:
   a.For the use of students and faculty; or
   b.Temporarily to serve such events as fairs, carnivals, and athletic contests.
2. 2Any eating place maintained and operated by a church or a religious, nonprofit fraternal, or nonprofit civic organization:
   a.For the use of members and associates; or
   b.Temporarily to serve such events as fairs, carnivals, or athletic contests.
3. Any eating place located on an airplane, train, bus, or watercraft which is a common carrier.
4. Any eating place maintained by a facility certified or licensed and regulated by the Agency for Health Care Administration or the Department of Children and Family Services or other similar place that is regulated under s. 381.0072.
5. Any place of business issued a permit or inspected by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under s. 500.12.
6. Any place of business where the food available for consumption is limited to ice, beverages with or without garnishment, popcorn, or prepackaged items sold without additions or preparation.
7. Any theater, if the primary use is as a theater and if patron service is limited to food items customarily served to the admittees of theaters.
8. Any vending machine that dispenses any food or beverages other than potentially hazardous foods, as defined by division rule.
9. Any vending machine that dispenses potentially hazardous food and which is located in a facility regulated under s. 381.0072.
10. Any research and development test kitchen limited to the use of employees and which is not open to the general public.

(6)"Director" means the Director of the Division of Hotels and Restaurants of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
(7)"Single complex of buildings" means all buildings or structures that are owned, managed, controlled, or operated under one business name and are situated on the same tract or plot of land that is not separated by a public street or highway.
(8)"Temporary food service event" means any event of 30 days or less in duration where food is prepared, served, or sold to the general public.
(9)"Theme park or entertainment complex" means a complex comprised of at least 25 contiguous acres owned and controlled by the same business entity and which contains permanent exhibitions and a variety of recreational activities and has a minimum of 1 million visitors annually.
(10)"Third-party provider" means, for purposes of s. 509.049, any provider of an approved food safety training program that provides training or such a training program to a public food service establishment that is not under common ownership or control with the provider.
(11)"Transient establishment" means any public lodging establishment that is rented or leased to guests by an operator whose intention is that such guests’ occupancy will be temporary. (12)"Transient occupancy" means occupancy when it is the intention of the parties that the occupancy will be temporary. There is a rebuttable presumption that, when the dwelling unit occupied is not the sole residence of the guest, the occupancy is transient.
(13)"Transient" means a guest in transient occupancy.
(14)"Nontransient establishment" means any public lodging establishment that is rented or leased to guests by an operator whose intention is that the dwelling unit occupied will be the sole residence of the guest.
(15)"Nontransient occupancy" means occupancy when it is the intention of the parties that the occupancy will not be temporary. There is a rebuttable presumption that, when the dwelling unit occupied is the sole residence of the guest, the occupancy is nontransient.
(16)"Nontransient" means a guest in nontransient occupancy.
History.—s. 1, ch. 73-325; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 1, 39, 42, ch. 79-240; ss. 3, 4, ch. 81-161; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 2, ch. 83-241; s. 3, ch. 87-117; s. 31, ch. 88-90; s. 2, ch. 88-275; ss. 2, 51, 52, ch. 90-339; s. 1, ch. 91-40; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 21, ch. 92-180; s. 1, ch. 93-53; s. 14, ch. 93-133; s. 36, ch. 94-180; s. 202, ch. 94-218; s. 42, ch. 95-210; s. 3, ch. 95-314; s. 2, ch. 96-384; s. 245, ch. 99-8; s. 7, ch. 2004-292; s. 1, ch. 2008-55; s. 25, ch. 2010-161; s.