Airbnb is launching a water safety campaign aimed at hosts with pools in Florida and Arizona following a bipartisan Florida bill that would have mandated pool safety features at vacation rentals.
The bill passed the Florida Senate but stalled in the state House.
The company said it plans to send water safety and drowning prevention tips this week to hosts with pools and hot tubs in both states, according to Scripps News.
“As part of our commitment to help support great experiences, Airbnb is redoubling its efforts to promote water safety education among hosts in Florida and Arizona, two of Airbnb’s most popular destinations for water-centric vacations in the US,” the company said in a statement,” per the outlet.
The effort follows a Scripps investigation that found more than 50 children have drowned or nearly drowned at vacation rental pools in Florida alone since 2021.
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Airbnb said it collected data showing summer bookings at listings with pools in Florida rose 35 percent between 2024 and 2025, and 26 percent in Arizona.
Both states were highlighted in the news outlet’s reporting on child drownings at short-term rentals.
The Florida bill that failed would have required vacation rental hosts to install at least one pool safety feature — such as a fence, door alarm, or pool cover — before renting a home with a pool.
Florida Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith told Scripps News he plans to reintroduce the measure next session, citing the state’s status as having more fatal child drownings than any other state in the country.
Hosts in Florida and Arizona who accept bookings at properties with pools now face intensifying scrutiny from lawmakers, platforms, and families booking travel to water-heavy vacation markets.
