FL H1471

Creates the Department of Housing and Tenant Rights, headed by a Governor-appointed secretary, to formulate policies on affordable housing, homelessness, and landlord-tenant relations, and requires a cost-benefit analysis report on an empty homes tax by January 1, 2026.

Establishes extensive tenant protections including: requiring good cause for lease terminations; capping security deposits at one month's rent with installment payment options; prohibiting most rental application fees ("End Junk Fees for Renters Act"); requiring 60 days' notice for rent increases (3 months if over 5%); granting tenants a right of first refusal before a landlord sells the property; and allowing victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking to terminate leases without penalty.

Prohibits persons owning 100 or more single-family rental homes from purchasing additional single-family homes for non-residential use, with civil penalties up to $100/day per home and exemplary damages of $50,000 or three times total damages; also expands anti-discrimination protections to cover race, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, and credit score.

Creates financial incentives for affordable housing, including a Retail-to-Residence Tax Credit (up to 9% over 5 years) for converting shopping centers into workforce housing, an Affordable Housing Construction Loan Program for first-time homebuyers earning up to 120% of area median income, and a $100-per-$100 documentary stamp tax on residential property purchases by private equity firms or corporations with $20 million+ in assets (deposited into the Florida Affordable Housing Trust Fund).

Authorizes municipalities to create Community Land Bank Programs to acquire tax-foreclosed vacant properties for affordable housing development, with deed restrictions requiring occupancy by low-income and very-low-income households, and permits local governments to adopt impact fees on developers who displace residents through gentrification.