Governor DeSantis signs anti-squatting bills, focused on commercial properties

DeSantis signs anti-squatter legislation

Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference at The Westin Sarasota to sign an anti-squatter legislation.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed two anti-squatting bills into law Monday in Sarasota.

What we know:

Both bills will increase penalties for squatters found inhabiting commercial properties and hotel/temporary housing properties. During the press conference, Governor DeSantis stated, "We are not going to let the law create roadblocks for property owners to exercise their rights".

The governor signed Senate Bill 322 which states:

"Property Rights; Authorizing a property owner or his or her authorized agent to request the sheriff in the county in which the owner’s commercial real property is located to immediately remove persons unlawfully occupying the owner’s commercial real property if specified conditions are met; authorizing the sheriff to arrest an unauthorized person for legal cause; prohibiting a person from unlawfully detaining or occupying or trespassing upon commercial real property and intentionally causing a specified amount of damage, etc."

And Senate Bill 606 which states:

"Public Lodging and Public Food Service Establishments; Revising notification requirements for removing guests from public lodging and public food service establishments; requiring public food service establishments that charge an operations charge to provide specified notice; requiring bills and receipts to contain certain information, etc."

State Representative Peggy Gossett-Seidman, the House of Representatives sponsor of SB 322, spoke during the press conference Monday, "This bill is proof that when we listen to residents, good things happen." Representative Gossett-Seidman stated that the bill was filed after a resident reached out to her asking for help because people inhabited their family owned restaurant, "The rightful owners have spent alot of money and time trying to have these persons evicted from the property with no success."

The backstory:

In 2024, Governor DeSantis signed House Bill 621, which authorized "property owners or authorized agents to request assistance from the sheriff for immediately removing unauthorized occupants from residential dwellings under certain conditions". This law created harsher penalties for residential squatters. "That is not going to fly in the State of Florida, we are not going to let people's residences…be commandeered by people who aren't paying to be there", DeSantis stated Monday.

The governor stated that the success of the 2024 law led to the signing of Senate Bill 322 and Senate Bill 606.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: