BCC passes new renter protections with Tenants Bill of Rights

The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners voted 5-2 this week to expand protections for vulnerable renters across the county with the passage of a new Tenants Bill of Rights ordinance.

The purpose of the ordinance is to work with local landlords to inform tenants of their rights, provide advance notice of rent increases and late fees, and prevent discrimination based on a renters’ source of income.

The ordinance takes effect on Oct. 3, 2022. The ordinance will apply countywide in all municipalities except for those that adopt their own provision inconsistent with the County’s ordinance or formally opt out. The City of St. Petersburg is the only municipality that already has a similar ordinance in effect.

The Tenants Bill of Rights specifically adds the following protections for tenants:

• Requires landlords to provide all tenants with a notice of rights under Florida law and Pinellas County code.
• Expands current County code to prohibit landlords from discriminating against rental applicants based on their source of income.
• Requires landlords to give tenants advanced written notice of late fees and rent increases exceeding 5 percent.

Pinellas County recently launched a campaign to educate tenants about their existing rights and local programs to help with the high cost of housing. For more information, visit https://rent.pinellas.gov/.