Mayor Donna Deegan's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026–27 does not include any identified funding for Jacksonville's proposed rental-property registry or housing ombudsman. The omission is notable because Councilman Jimmy Peluso announced in January that Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, commonly known as JALA, was expected to maintain the registry. Peluso also discussed creating an ombudsman to help tenants reach property owners, navigate city services and contact Code Compliance.
The Florida Landlord Rental Assistant gives tenants a dependable way to report maintenance concerns, ask questions and communicate by telephone — while you keep a documented record of every interaction.
Neither initiative appears as a funded program in the mayor's proposed budget.
Additional JALA Funding Removed
The budget also removes $250,000 in supplemental funding previously provided to JALA for general civil legal-aid services. According to the city's official budget explanation, that money "has been removed at the request of JALA." The eliminated appropriation was not specifically designated for the rental registry. It was previously approved under Ordinance 2025-504-E to support civil legal services for Duval County residents.
Therefore, its removal does not necessarily mean that JALA has withdrawn from the registry proposal. Nevertheless, the change is significant because JALA had been publicly identified as the organization expected to house and operate the registry. The proposed budget continues approximately $146,415 in pass-through funding for JALA. The organization also receives a statutory share of certain court-cost revenue.
No Active Registry Legislation
Jacksonville also has no active ordinance establishing a rental registry. Councilman Peluso originally introduced Resolution 2025-293 in April 2025. That measure encouraged the mayor to create a registry but did not establish registration requirements, fees, inspections or penalties. The resolution was withdrawn by a unanimous 17-0 City Council vote on May 27, 2025. Council members indicated that the proposal would need to be reworked and introduced as an ordinance. More than a year later, no replacement ordinance has been filed. Consequently, Jacksonville landlords currently face:
- No city rental-registration requirement
- No registration fee
- No registry-related inspection program
- No registry penalties or enforcement provisions
- No scheduled committee hearing on the proposal
Proposal Remains Possible
The absence of funding does not permanently end the registry proposal. The City Council may amend the mayor's budget, and a council member could introduce separate legislation providing money or authority for the program. For now, however, public advocacy has moved substantially further than the legislative process. Despite repeated media reports describing support for the registry and plans for JALA to operate it, Jacksonville has no active ordinance, no published operating plan and no clearly identified funding source.
A Practical Alternative to a Government Registry
Jacksonville does not need a new bureaucracy to improve landlord-tenant communication. The Florida Landlord Rental Assistant gives tenants a dependable way to report maintenance concerns, submit questions and communicate by text, email, and telephone—while creating a documented record for the landlord. It also provides rent collection, payment reminders, lease tracking and document storage. The landlord remains in control, without registry fees, mandatory inspections or another layer of government oversight.
Learn About the Florida Landlord Rental Assistant
This is an important development—but it is not necessarily the end of the proposal. The public has heard repeatedly about a registry, an ombudsman and a "one-stop shop" operated through Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. Yet no ordinance has been filed explaining who would register, what information would be collected, who would pay for it or what penalties might eventually follow. Before the City Council commits public money to this program, landlords and taxpayers deserve to see the complete proposal and receive clear answers about what problem it would solve that existing disclosure laws, public ownership records and Code Compliance cannot already address.
Wait, I have a better idea! Let's just drop the whole idea!!
Sources: Jacksonville's proposed FY 2026–27 budget, pages 389–390, Ordinance 2025-504-E funding document, and official record for withdrawn Resolution 2025-293.
