Local governments are now more restricted in how they can levy certain property-related charges on recreational vehicle (RV) parks, a change supporters say will prevent those properties from being treated like traditional residential neighborhoods.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation this week (SB 118) that revises how counties, cities and special districts impose non-ad valorem special assessments — fees used to fund services or improvements that benefit a property — on RV parks regulated under state law.
The measure took effect upon receiving the Governor’s signature Wednesday and will first apply to the 2026 property tax roll.
SB 118, sponsored by Tavares Republican Sen. Keith Truenow, requires local governments to treat RV parks as commercial properties, similar to hotels or motels, rather than as collections of residential units when calculating non-ad valorem assessments.
Backers like the Florida RV Park and Campground Association argued that, in some cases, local formulas effectively treated each campsite as if it were a fully occupied home, even when spaces were used intermittently or included excess land beyond the footprint of an RV.
The new law limits how those charges can be calculated. Local governments are now barred from assessing portions of a campsite that exceed the maximum size of a recreational vehicle unit — effectively capping how much square footage can be counted per space.
Local officials must also consider how often an RV park is actually occupied when apportioning the costs, a change aimed at better aligning fees with real-world usage.
The bill requires local governments to consider occupancy rates to ensure assessments are “fairly and reasonably apportioned,” while aiming to avoid treating RV sites as fully occupied residential properties year-round.
A summary from the Florida Association of Counties notes that the changes are intended to standardize assessment practices statewide and avoid approaches that treat RV campsites like permanent residential parcels.
The group warned the measure could have fiscal implications for local governments.
Counties and cities that currently rely on square-footage-based formulas may need to revise their methodologies to comply with the new limits, potentially reducing revenues collected from RV parks in areas where campsites exceed the capped size.
The requirement to account for occupancy rates could also introduce additional administrative demands, such as obtaining data from park operators and incorporating it into assessment calculations.
SB 118 passed unanimously in the Senate March 12. It cleared the House, where Republican Reps. Dean Black of Jacksonville and Danny Nix of Port Charlotte carried an identical companion measure (HB 39), on an 111-1 vote.
Dade City Republican Rep. Kevin Steele was the sole dissenter.
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