Upvote:3
No, they can't.
As has been widely publicized, there is a nationwide shortage of rental cars. Warnings about it began months ago, owing to a confluence of factors: the rental companies' massive fleet-selloffs during the pandemic, the microchip shortage affecting new car deliveries, the surge in rental car demand that exceeded all projections.
In high-demand areas, especially Florida, Arizona, and Hawaii, people have found it cheaper to rent U-Haul moving trucks than a regular rental car. You might try to find one of those. But if a rental car company can charge $200 a day for a mid-sized car in Ft. Lauderdale, they would be crazy to let anyone take it out of state without charging a hefty penalty fee.