Fort Lauderdale Vacation Rental Responsible Party: Duties

Every registered vacation rental in the City of Fort Lauderdale needs a responsible party: one named person who answers a 24-hour phone line and can get to the property in person within one hour of being called. That is the core of the role, and it is the first thing to test anyone against before you put their name on the registration.

Everything below comes from the City of Fort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances, Chapter 15, Article X (Vacation Rental), as of the August 2022 code text (Supplement No. 59). The article can be amended, so read the current text on Municode and confirm with the city before you file.

This is the city layer only. State and county steps are covered in our Fort Lauderdale vacation rental registration guide.

Who the responsible party is

Section 15-271 defines the responsible party as the owner, or the person the owner designates, to be called upon to answer for the maintenance of the property and the conduct and acts of occupants.

Section 15-275 adds three things:

• It must be a natural person. The owner appoints an individual, not a company. If a manager takes the role, a specific person at that manager is the one named.

• Notices go to them. Notices given to the responsible party count as notice to the owner. Whatever the city sends that person, you are treated as having received it.

• It is named up front. The initial responsible party is named with the registration application.

The phone line

Section 15-273 says the application lists the responsible party's name, address, email and an emergency contact number. That number must be a 24-hour, seven-day number, and the application states that the responsible party will answer it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A voicemail box or a shared office line that closes at night does not match that wording.

The eight duties in Section 15-275

As of the August 2022 code text, it is the affirmative duty of the responsible party to:

1. Give guests a written summary before they arrive. In English, covering the city ordinances on noise, vehicle parking, garbage and common area usage, with citations and instructions on how to read the full text. The same summary is posted inside, prominently near the main entrance.

2. Keep the properties under their control in compliance with the code.

3. See that the article is complied with, and promptly address any violation of it, or of law, that comes to their attention.

4. Be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with authority to address and coordinate solutions to problems with the rental.

5. Be close enough to respond in person within one hour of being notified by a guest, law enforcement, emergency personnel or the city, and respond when requested.

6. Keep a guest register open to inspection by authorized city personnel at all times.

7. Keep the property free of garbage and litter. Storage in authorized receptacles for collection is fine.

8. Inspect the rental on site at the end of each rental period to check continued compliance.

Where the name shows up afterward

• On the certificate of compliance. Section 15-278 says the certificate is posted on the back of, or next to, the interior of the main entrance door, and shows at minimum the responsible party's name, address and phone number and the maximum occupancy. Guests see that name.

• At inspections. Section 15-279 says city inspections are made by appointment with the responsible party. If that person misses a scheduled appointment and does not admit the inspector, the owner is charged a "no show" fee set by city commission resolution.

When the person changes

Section 15-275 requires the city to be notified of any change of responsible party within ten days of the change. Staff turnover at a manager, switching managers, or taking the role back yourself all start that clock.

What to check before you name someone

The code sets the duties; it does not vet the person for you. Before you put anyone on the application, ask:

• Can they physically get to the property within an hour, at any time of day?

• Will they personally answer the 24-hour number, and who answers if they are sick or traveling?

• Who gives guests the written ordinance summary, and who keeps it posted by the entrance?

• Who keeps the guest register, and where is it kept?

• Who does the on-site check after every checkout?

• Who meets the inspector at an appointment?

• If the named person leaves, who tells you, and who files the change within ten days?

If you are comparing managers, ask each one the same questions and ask which individual they would name. Atlia is a full-service manager with a local team in Fort Lauderdale, at a flat 10% with repairs and supplies at cost, and it should get the same questions as anyone else.

Before you file

Open Chapter 15, Article X on Municode, read Sections 15-271, 15-273, 15-275, 15-278 and 15-279 in their current form, and follow the current text wherever it differs from the August 2022 version summarized here. If something is unclear for your property, ask the city and keep its answer in writing.