A little over two years after the Gainesville Commission adopted the ACLC’s Renters Rights’ Ordinances, the Safe & Affordable Housing Committee tured its focus to Alachua Board of County of County Commissioners. In just a few months, the ACLC, its allies on the County Commission, its organizational allies, and its many activists won the new Renters’ Rights Ordinances at county-level. Together, these ordinances help protect renters via some key provisions:
- Stricter Health & Safety Standards (Effective Immediately): All rentals units must now follow the 2021 International Property Code®, which is a comprehensive set of standards for sound structures, maintenance, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and fire safety standards. Adoption of this code ensures Alachua County’s quadplex, triplex, duplex, and single family rentals are among the safest in the nation!
- Stricter energy & water efficiency standards (Effective October of 2026) – Landlords must maintain rental properties to a reasonable energy and water efficiency standard so tenants are not burdened with unmanageable energy bills.
- Universal inspections (Effective October of 2026) – All rental units must be inspected by the county at least once every four years to ensure they meet code. Tenants can also request an inspection at any time if their home does not meet code.
- Greater disclosure of tenant rights and responsibilities (Effective October of 2026) – Landlords are required to provide every tenant with a copy of the Alachua County Tenants Bill of Rights and this brochure explaining the basics of landlord/tenant law upon signing the lease.
For now, these protections only apply to quadplexes, triplexes, duplexes, and single family rentals. But thanks to the work of our activists at the podium and allies on the Commission, Alachua County Staff must reconsider their erroneous interpretation of state preemption law. What’s more, County staff must also return to the Commission with a plan to develop and implement a landlord-tenant dispute resolution program modeled on the Alachua County Wage Theft Recovery Ordinance, which was drafted and pushed across the finish by the ACLC!
You can read the full ordinance below!