South Florida landlord demands new tenants and those renewing their leases be vaccinated



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Santiago Alvarez told CNN he has no plans to change his rule despite threats from Governor Ron DeSantis to bring in companies that require proof of vaccination.

Alvarez said he made the decision a month ago after seeing too many of his tenants die from Covid-19.

“I think my decision was right and I will defend it in any way I can. If I get fined, I will go to court with it,” he told CNN.

The owner also requires his employees to be fully vaccinated. He told CNN he had two employees and two tenants who left due to his vaccination policy.

Alvarez, who said he voted Republican for a long time, said he was not a DeSantis fan and urges the governor to follow the science, not the polls.

DeSantis has made it clear that he does not support the mask and vaccine mandates, citing personal choice as a higher priority.

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“These mandates go too far and they will be very destructive for a lot of very, very good people,” DeSantis said Tuesday.

The governor announced this week that he would fine county and city governments requiring employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19, threatening a fine of $ 5,000 per violation.

Alvarez said it has around 80 to 100 tenants in Broward and Miami-Dade counties and lease renewals are expected to arrive soon.

He said he’s ready to be flexible with tenants who don’t want to provide proof of vaccination, but also have nowhere to go. He will consider extending the lease to the month with a higher rent.

“I don’t want to put them on the streets, but I don’t want them to pose a danger to my tenants or to my employees,” Alvarez said.

DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw noted that the Florida Department of Health rule imposing a vaccine passport ban goes into effect Thursday.

“Under Florida law, people cannot be required to present a vaccination passport as a condition of entry or service,” she said.

There is a fine of $ 5,000 for each violation.

“Mr. Alvarez and all who agree with him should be made aware that people who have been vaccinated can still transmit COVID to others, although they are protected against serious illness,” she added. “The idea of ​​requiring vaccine passports is unscientific and will not reach ‘inferior cases.’ Without warrants, cases in Florida are rapidly dwindling on their own.”

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