{"id":978,"date":"2025-06-12T11:39:43","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T11:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bidhom.com\/blog\/?p=978"},"modified":"2025-12-30T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T13:00:00","slug":"florida-cracks-down-on-squatters-what-every-cre-owner-must-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bidhom.com\/blog\/florida-cracks-down-on-squatters-what-every-cre-owner-must-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida Cracks Down on Squatters: What Every CRE Owner Must Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Commercial property owners across Florida are gaining powerful new protection, and it is changing how property management is done.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For years, the legal system offered limited resources when unauthorized individuals occupied private property. While residential squatters were addressed last year, commercial property owners were left exposed until now.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Gov. Ron DeSantis<\/em><\/strong> has officially signed two sweeping bills into law:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SB 322 and SB 606, <\/strong>targeting squatters in commercial spaces, hotels, and short-term rentals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is what business owners and real estate stakeholders need to know:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The problem Was Growing:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Squatters occupying warehouse, office spaces, and retail storefronts&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hotel guests overstaying and refusing to pay, with no fast legal remedy&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lengthy eviction processes draining time, money, and police resources&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rising cases of fraudulent lease documents and criminal activity&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Changed With New Laws:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. SB 322- Commercial Property Protection<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Owners can now file a sworn complaint to the sheriff\u2019s office for swift removal&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If verified, law enforcement must act quickly\u2014no court eviction process required&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Applies to offices, industrial buildings, and retail units&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Introduces criminal penalties for presenting false claims of tenancy&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Owners must cover enforcement fees and labor hours&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>SB 606 -Hotel and Short-Term Rental Safeguard<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Classifies hotel\/motel\/vacation stays as transient\u2014not long-term tenants&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Empowers owners to remove non-paying or unruly guest without court filing&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Written notice is required, but no formal eviction is needed&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Helps hospitality businesses protect availability and prevent property misuse&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why It Matters for Property Owners:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These laws are more than legal updates; they represent a shift in how Florida handles unlawful occupancy:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Faster turnaround:<\/strong> Law enforcement can now act within days, not weeks&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Clearer definitions:<\/strong> Eliminates legal grey areas around property rights&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lower costs:<\/strong> Avoid drawn-out litigation and lost revenue&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Greater safety:<\/strong> Reduces criminal misuse of vacant or misused spaces&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What&#8217;s Next:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Both bills take effect. <strong>July 1, 2025<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Florida restaurants will also be required to disclose all service charges and fees by July 2026, promoting transparency in hospitality.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who Benefits the Most?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These new laws are not just for large corporations; they are designed to support everyday property owners and small businesses, too.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Commercial landlords struggling with unauthorized occupants&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hotel\/motel owners dealing with guests who overstay or refuse payment&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Retail business owners facing property misuse or disruption&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Real estate investors looking for cleaner, safer asset management&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Developers with vacant or under-construction spaces&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>With clearer legal pathways and faster enforcement, property control is back where it belongs\u2014with the rightful owner.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Update Summary<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Florida has passed new legislation that gives <strong>commercial property owners more power to remove squatters quickly and without court involvement<\/strong>. This is a game-changer because:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Immediate Action<\/strong>: Property owners can now call law enforcement directly to remove unauthorized occupants.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>No Legal Costs<\/strong>: No need to go through time-consuming legal eviction processes.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Applies to Commercial Properties<\/strong>: Office buildings, retail spaces, warehouses, etc.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to stay ahead on property news? Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"text-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/newsletters\/7184511415062335489\/\" class=\"bookademobtn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Subscribe Here<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Commercial property owners across Florida are gaining powerful new protection, and it is changing how property management is done.&nbsp;&nbsp; For years, the legal system offered limited resources when unauthorized individuals occupied private property. While residential squatters were addressed last year, commercial property owners were left exposed until now.&nbsp; Gov. Ron DeSantis has officially signed two [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":979,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"Custom_single_post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[27],"class_list":["post-978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trending","tag-cre"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bidhom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/978","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bidhom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bidhom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bidhom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bidhom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=978"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.bidhom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/978\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1239,"href":"https:\/\/www.bidhom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/978\/revisions\/1239"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bidhom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bidhom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bidhom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bidhom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}