Some foreign nationals must soon register real estate with Florida

Citizens of Cuba, China, Venezuela, Russia, Syria, North Korea and Iran have until the end of January to register certain real estate with the Florida Department of Commerce, under a law passed earlier this year.

The consequences of not registering with the state include steep penalties — $1,000 per day — and even property seizure.

The law only applies to citizens of “countries of concern” who do not have a permanent residency or citizenship in the U.S. Companies and government entities from the listed countries are included.

“Protecting Floridians and Florida’s infrastructure from agents like the Chinese Communist Party and other foreign adversaries is important to our state’s security,” Governor Ron DeSantis said in a statement last month when the portal for registering properties was launched.

“I am proud to have signed the strongest legislation in the nation to fight back against foreign malign influence.”

READ MORE: FIU institutes a ‘pause’ in hiring Cuban, Chinese researchers as law goes into effect

Any agricultural land must be registered with the state under the law, even if the citizen or business entity from the “country of concern” owns just a minority stake. Future purchases of agricultural land is banned almost entirely in the new law, with certain exceptions for diplomatic or federally-approved purposes.

Other real estate owned by a “foreign principal” from one of the listed countries must be registered with the Florida Department of Commerce if it falls within 10 miles of any military installation or “critical infrastructure” in the state.

In a region like South Florida, almost the entire populated area falls within those boundaries. Airports, seaports, Army Corps of Engineer flood control infrastructure and military bases are all included in the criteria.

Accusations of ‘anti-Chinese’ sentiment

The most onerous restrictions for owning real estate apply to Chinese nationals.

Opposition to the sweeping law has sparked street protests in Miami. Top real estate groups have vowed to pressure the state government to roll the law back, fearing it will hurt the real estate industry and foreign investment, particularly from China. Bloomberg Law recently reported at least two major construction projects were halted due to the law, because they were receiving Chinese capital to fund the projects.

The Chinese Communist Party official propaganda newspaper China Daily has characterized the law as part of “anti-Chinese” sentiment in Florida, citing another law about the Florida university system that is just going into effect.

“I’m grateful for the Governor’s leadership on this issue that is critical to both our national security and the security of Florida’s economy,” Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly said in a statement.

The law was passed with a strong majority in both the Florida House and Florida Senate. A handful of Democrats in both bodies voted against the measure.

If an individual or a company acquired affected real estate before July 31, that property must be registered by Dec. 31. But it is only considered late if it is not registered by Jan. 31, 2024.

If residents of the listed countries don’t register properties with the state by the Jan. 31st deadline, they can be hit with $1,000 per day in property liens, according to the law. The law even allows the State of Florida to seize properties it deems are owned in violation of the law.

The portal for registering properties can be accessed here. An FAQ about who needs to register — and what needs to be registered — can be found here.