H781 - Vacation Rental Act Changes

• Clarifies that real estate brokers managing vacation rental properties may deduct earned management fees from advanced rents held in trust accounts, with the landlord remaining liable to tenants for any refunds owed.

• Requires landlords of vacation rental properties to install and maintain at least one operable carbon monoxide alarm per unit per level in units with fossil-fuel burning appliances or attached garages, with specific testing standards and battery replacement requirements.

• Establishes that real estate brokers managing vacation rentals are not personally liable in civil disputes with tenants if the broker fails to identify the landlord in the rental agreement.

• Allows active-duty military members and their spouses to terminate vacation rental agreements with 10 days' written notice upon receipt of deployment or permanent change of station orders, with full refund of paid amounts within 30 days.

• Modifies eviction court fee provisions to void any court-appearance fee if a tenant appeals a magistrate's judgment, and clarifies that landlords cannot deduct such fees from subsequent rent or use non-payment as grounds for new eviction actions.