The Florida Apartment Association (FAA) is celebrating the passage of a new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this month to crack down on rental application fraud.
“FAA identified this growing problem, worked with industry stakeholders to develop a policy solution, and championed HB 1293 throughout the legislative process,” said Amanda White, Vice President of the Florida Apartment Association.
“We are grateful to Governor DeSantis, legislative leaders, and our members who helped advance this first-of-its-kind legislation. Together, we have positioned Florida as a national leader in addressing rental application fraud.”
HB 1293 passed unanimously in both chambers earlier this year and was signed by DeSantis on June 12. The new law goes into effect Oct. 1
The law creates a new third-degree felony for people who knowingly and willfully gain access to residential housing through materially false statements, forged documents, counterfeit records, or identity misrepresentation.
The issue is particularly a problem in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area as people use altered pay stubs, false employment records, synthetic identities, and counterfeit bank statements to lie on their rental applications.
“The consequences of rental application fraud extend beyond housing providers. When fraudsters obtain affordable housing units for which they are not eligible, they reduce access for working families and individuals who legitimately qualify for those limited housing units,” the FAA said.
“In addition, tenants who commit application fraud often default on rent, leading to costly legal proceedings and financial losses that can ultimately affect housing operations and affordability.”
The new legislation also makes application fraud a lease violation so a tenant’s lease can be terminated legally through the existing legal process.
“Florida has become one of the nation’s hotspots for rental application fraud, creating significant challenges for housing providers and limiting housing opportunities for qualified renters,” White said.
“HB 1293 provides a commonsense solution that protects the integrity of the rental housing market, deters fraudulent activity, and helps ensure affordable housing units remain available for Floridians who genuinely qualify for them.”
The FAA represents the state’s apartment industry from owners, developers, managers to suppliers and housing professionals.
Gabrielle Russon is an award-winning journalist based in Orlando. She covered the business of theme parks for the Orlando Sentinel. Her previous newspaper stops include the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Toledo Blade, Kalamazoo Gazette and Elkhart Truth as well as an internship covering the nation’s capital for the Chicago Tribune. For fun, she runs marathons. She gets her training from chasing a toddler around. Contact her at [email protected] or on Twitter @GabrielleRusson .
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