Housing (Property Development)

Building Permits and Inspections; Providing for expiration of certain building permits issued by a county after a specified timeframe; providing that any certified residential manufactured building may not be denied a building permit for placement on specified lots or property associations; prohibiting a local government from adopting or enforcing certain zoning, land use, or development ordinances or regulations; requiring the Florida Building Commission to adopt by rule uniform statewide building permit applications for commercial and residential construction projects; requiring certain persons who perform work on a property to file a notice of permit exemption with the local enforcement agency within a specified timeframe, etc.

Infill Redevelopment; Requires local government to permit development of certain qualifying parcels up to certain density & intensity; requires developers of qualifying parcels to maintain specified buffer between new developments & single-family homes & townhouses; requires developers of qualifying parcels to establish that certain recreational facilities & areas reserved for recreational use have not been in operation or use for certain timeframe, to pay double parks & recreational facilities impact fees, & to provide written notice to certain property owners; requires property owners who receive such written notice to exercise option to purchase certain parcels or portions thereof within specified timeframe or forfeit option; requires development on qualifying parcels to meet concurrency requirements.

Infill Redevelopment; Creating the “Infill Redevelopment Act”; requiring that a local government permit qualifying parcels to be developed with residential uses; prohibiting a local government from using the subdivision process to restrict development in a certain manner; requiring developers of such parcels to pay double the parks and recreation facilities impact fees for a certain purpose and provide certain written notice to property owners; prohibiting a local government from adopting or enforcing certain local laws, ordinances, or regulations, etc.

Transportation Infrastructure Land Development Regulations; Requires governing body of county or municipality to adopt ordinance, & governing body of special district to adopt resolution, establishing specified transit-oriented development (TOD) zones & rural livable urban village (LUV) areas; requires local government to zone for mixed use, & authorize certain commercial uses for, lots within TOD zones & rural LUV areas; prohibits local government from imposing certain building regulations in specified TOD zones & rural LUV areas; prohibits reduction or elimination of TOD zones after establishment; prohibits local government from imposing certain regulations for lots that contain historic property; provides private cause of action; authorizes award of specified relief; provides that prevailing plaintiff is entitled to attorney fees & costs; provides waiver of sovereign immunity.

Affordable Housing; Revising the definitions of certain land use categories for which certain residential development may be authorized to exclude farms and farm operations and uses associated therewith, etc.

Release of Conservation Easements; Requires certain water management districts, upon application by fee simple owner of parcel subject to conservation easement, to release conservation easement if specified conditions are met; specifies that land released from conservation easement may be used for development consistent with certain zoning; requires property owners to assume responsibility for stormwater requirements in certain circumstances; requires property owners to comply with specified ordinances & seek approval for modification of certain permits; provides applicability.

Local Government Land Development Regulations and Orders; Requiring counties and municipalities, respectively, to follow certain application procedures for applications for certain development permits and development orders; creating the “Florida Starter Homes Act” for a specified purpose; prohibiting local governments from imposing regulations governing residential lots unless such regulations meet specified requirements; prohibiting local governments from imposing certain regulations if a residential lot is connected to a public water system and a sewerage system; requiring the permitting as of right of an off-site constructed residential dwelling in certain zoning districts, etc.

Department of Commerce; Exempts federal agencies from requirement that conveyance at less than appraised value must state that land will revert to board of trustees if land is not used for its intended purposes as military installation buffer or if military installation closes; revises definition of term "rural community"; repeals provisions, relating to Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program Act, legislative intent & purpose, definitions, Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Loan Guarantee Program, applications for grants, establishment of grant ceilings & maximum administrative cost percentages & elimination of population bias, rejection of grant applications & penalties for failure to meet application conditions, & general powers of department under s. 290.0401, respectively; designates Department of Commerce as state agency to receive federal funding from United States Department of Housing & Urban Development to administer Community Development Block Grant Program; provides that department shall administer additional federal funding in accordance with federal law & guidance from Department of Housing & Urban Development; authorizes Department of Commerce to adopt rules.

Blue Ribbon Projects ; Requires that development project meet certain requirements to qualify as blue ribbon project; requires blue ribbon project to have blue ribbon plan; requires project to receive dollar-for-dollar credits from local government; provides that certain easements or property must be granted without charge; requires landowner to apply to local government for approval of plan; provides local government review requirements; provides that blue ribbon plan governs use of property upon approval of plan application by local government; provides that project may be located on land with any future land use designation or zoning designation; provides appeal procedures for denial & approval of blue ribbon plan application; provides environmental review requirements.

SB 218 prohibits counties and municipalities in areas affected by Hurricanes Debby, Helene, or Milton (as designated in federal disaster declarations) from imposing construction moratoriums or stricter land use rules for properties damaged by those storms. It specifically blocks local governments from adopting more restrictive land development regulations, site plan approvals, or comprehensive plan amendments related to hurricane-damaged properties until October 1, 2027. The law applies retroactively to August 1, 2024, and allows affected residents or business owners to sue to halt violations, with potential recovery of legal fees. The bill expires June 30, 2028, and directly affects rebuilding efforts in designated disaster zones.