OSCEOLA, Fla. — If a potential ordinance gets approved and enacted in Osceola County, officials say renters would be one step closer to getting extra protection. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Osceola County Commission met Monday to discuss a potential ordinance to give renters more protections

  • Hurricanes caused flooding at Good Samaritan Village, and renters are asking for better terms in cases like this

  • Officials say the ordinance would likely include a Tenant Bill of Rights, along with other protections

Commissioners discussed an ordinance Monday that would include a Tenant Bill of Rights and other protections in the wake of all the damage caused to rental properties by Hurricane Ian.  

Ralph Taylor, 79, has lived in Good Samaritan Village in Osceola County for almost a year. He said he had no idea his building was in danger of being flooded until it was too late and had to be evacuated after Hurricane Ian.

“Irritating, to say the least," he said. "It took them three days to get me out of here."

Taylor said he wished he had been told about flooding issues before moving in, because "I probably would have made other arrangements."

That is something that Osceola County commissioners are discussing, making such disclosures mandatory for landlords and property owners.

In a new ordinance that they are workshopping, they would be required to tell any potential tenants in writing of prior flooding that caused damage during a state of emergency or natural disaster.

As it stands now, it would also include a tenant bill of rights that would inform renters of their rights, prevent discrimination based on income and require written notice of late fees. The ordinance would allow officials to fine any landlord $500 to $5,000 for each violation.

It’s something that Taylor said he hopes will become a reality. 

“It is a good thing, and especially for seniors,” he said, adding that it would give him more peace of mind knowing he’s being protected as he looks for a new place to call home. 

“You live with what they put on you and you’ve got not really not much to say about it,“ he said.

Some commissioners said in Monday's workshop that they felt the ordinance, as discussed, would offer too much protection for bad tenants. They asked the county attorney to organize a roundtable with tenants, landlords and Realtors so they could continue to work on this before bringing an ordinance up for a vote.