HB 691-Relating to Self-Storage Facilities

On Tuesday, January 30th, HB 691 by Representative George Moraitis (R-Fort Lauderdale) was heard before the House Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee and passed narrowly by a vote of 8 yeas to 7 nays. AIF’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, spoke in opposition to this bill.

The "Self-Storage Facility Act" (act) regulates self-service storage facilities, which are designed and used for the purpose of renting individual storage space to tenants for the purpose of storing personal property. HB 691 revises the regulations of this act and allows an advertisement for sale to be published continuously for 14 days on a public website that customarily conducts personal property auctions as an alternative to publishing once a week for consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the area where the self-service storage facility is located.

The bill also removes the requirement for the owner, when there is no newspaper of general circulation, to post the advertisement at least 10 days before the sale in at least three conspicuous places in the neighborhood where the self-service storage facility is located.

HB 691 will go on to be heard in the House Careers and Competition Subcommittee.

AIF opposes this legislation as it removes the requirement that public notices be printed in local newspapers as defined by Chapter 50 of Florida Statutes.