Vacation rentals in Duval County, including Airbnb’s, can reopen after state-mandated COVID-19 closures.
Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation approved the city’s plan to reopen rentals May 20.
“Tourism is a major part of our local and state economies,” Mayor Lenny Curry said in a statement. “By getting these businesses back up and running in a responsible way, we are helping employees and their families get back on their feet and return to some sense of normalcy.”
The city’s plan requires rental property owners and managers to adhere to the following guidelines:
Social distancing:
• A 10-person per unit occupancy limit.
• “Encourage” visitors and staff to keep a 6-foot distance from other individuals.
• Stagger arrival times to prevent congregating.
Staff requirements:
• Follow appropriate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for sanitation and protection.
• Train on and adhere to the minimum standards established by this plan.
• Not report to work if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Receive a wellness check upon arrival at work that includes a temperature check.
Staff members with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher will not be permitted to work, according to the city.
Cleaning and sanitation:
• Property owners and managers will adhere to all DBPR sanitation guidelines in state statutes.
• Property owners and managers will follow the CDC related guidelines that are for public spaces, businesses, schools and homes.
The city plan states vacation rentals should be allowed “flexible time” between stays, based upon CDC cleaning and sanitation procedures.
Vacation rental companies or owners must:
• Provide guests with prearrival communications including copies of pertinent state and county executive orders and safety and additional copies upon arrival.
• Display materials on-site within the vacation rental unit outlining the orders.
• Limit guests traveling from cities with populations of more than 1 million in an area with substantial community spread designated in Gov. Ron DeSantis’s executive orders 2020-82 and 2020-86.
• If possible, provide contactless check-in and check-out processes.
• Limit staff interactions with guests during stay, unless necessary such as maintenance emergency calls. All staff must follow proper preventative measures if interacting with guests.