Division of Hotels and Restaurants

Public Lodging Establishment Definition

From Section 509.013, Florida Statutes (updated by Chapter 2011-119, Laws of Florida)

(4)(a)  “Public lodging establishment” includes a transient public lodging establishment as defined in subparagraph 1. and a nontransient public lodging establishment as defined in subparagraph 2.

1. “Transient public lodging establishment” means any unit, group of units, dwelling, building, or group of buildings within a single complex of buildings which is rented to guests more than three times in a calendar year for periods of less than 30 days or 1 calendar month, whichever is less, or which is advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented to guests.

2. “Nontransient public lodging establishment” means any unit, group of units, dwelling, building, or group of buildings within a single complex of buildings which is rented to guests for periods of at least 30 days or 1 calendar month, whichever is less, or which is advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented to guests for periods of at least 30 days or 1 calendar month.

License classifications of public lodging establishments, and the definitions therefore, are set out in s. 509.242. For the purpose of licensure, the term does not include condominium common elements as defined in s. 718.103.

(b) The following are excluded from the definitions in paragraph (a):

1.Any dormitory or other living or sleeping facility maintained by a public or private school, college, or university for the use of students, faculty, or visitors;

2. Any facility certified or licensed and regulated by the Agency for Health Care Administration or the Department of Children and Family Services or other similar place regulated under s. 381.0072;

3. Any place renting four rental units or less, unless the rental units are advertised or held out to the public to be places that are regularly rented to transients;

4. Any unit or group of units in a condominium, cooperative, or timeshare plan and any individually or collectively owned one-family, two-family, three-family, or four-family dwelling house or dwelling unit that is rented for periods of at least 30 days or 1 calendar month, whichever is less, and that is not advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented for periods of less than 1 calendar month, provided that no more than four rental units within a single complex of buildings are available for rent;

5. Any migrant labor camp or residential migrant housing permitted by the Department of Health; under ss. 381.008-381.00895;

6. Any establishment inspected by the Department of Health and regulated by chapter 513; and

7. Any nonprofit organization that operates a facility providing housing only to patients, patients' families, and patients' caregivers and not to the general public.

Transient / Nontransient Definitions

From Section 509.013, Florida Statutes (updated by Chapter 2008-055, Laws of Florida)

(12) “Transient occupancy” means occupancy when it is the intention of the parties that the occupancy will be temporary.  There is a rebuttable presumption that, when the dwelling unit occupied is not the sole residence of the guest, the occupancy is transient.

(13)“Transient” means a guest in transient occupancy.

(14) “Nontransient establishment” means any public lodging establishment that is rented or leased to guests by an operator whose intention is that the dwelling unit occupied will be the sole residence of the guest.

(15) “Nontransient occupancy” means occupancy when it is the intention of the parties that the occupancy will not be temporary. There is a rebuttable presumption that when the dwelling unit occupied is the sole residence of the guest, the occupancy is nontransient.

(16) “Nontransient” means a guest in nontransient occupancy.