Short-term

Renting your Florida property short-term

You need a state licence once you rent an entire dwelling more than three times a year^† for periods of under 30 days^†. At that point it is a public lodging establishment under Chapter 509, with the licensing, safety and tax obligations that follow — and a separate set of local rules that the state did not preempt.

The three layers, and they all apply at once

Layer	What it controls	Who enforces
State licence	Whether you may operate at all as a vacation rental	DBPR, under Chapter 509
Local ordinance	Zoning, minimum stays, caps, registration	City or county
Association rules	Whether your HOA or condo docs permit it	Your association

The association layer defeats more people than the law does

A state licence does not override your condo or HOA documents. Associations can and do prohibit short-term letting outright, and enforcement is usually faster and cheaper for them than for any government. Read the declaration before you buy a property to let, not after.

What the state preemption actually did

Florida stopped local governments from passing new ordinances that prohibit vacation rentals or regulate their duration and frequency — but it grandfathered everything already in force on 1 June 2011^†. Those older ordinances survive, and some of them are strict.

This is why the answer genuinely differs between two neighbouring towns, and why a general article about "Florida short-term rental law" cannot tell you whether you may operate. A city that already restricted rentals before that date can still enforce those restrictions today; one that did not is far more limited in what it may impose now.

A bill that did not become law

SB 280, which would have created a statewide registration regime, was vetoed in June 2024. Guides describing statewide registration as an existing requirement are describing something that never took effect. Local registration schemes are a separate matter and many do exist.

The taxes, all three of them

State sales tax at 6%^† on transient accommodation.
Local discretionary sales surtax, which varies by county and sits on top.
Tourist development tax — 2–6%, set by county^†, set by the county and often collected by the county rather than the state.

Platform collection is not full coverage

Airbnb and Vrbo collect and remit some of these in some counties, and not others. Assuming the platform has handled everything is one of the most common ways hosts accumulate a liability they only discover later. Confirm with your own county tax collector which taxes the platform remits on your behalf, and register for the ones it does not.

Before you buy a property to let

Read the association documents. Not the listing’s description of them — the actual declaration and any amendments.
Ask the city or county directly whether short-term letting is permitted at that address, and whether a local registration exists. Get the answer in writing.
Check whether a pre-2011 ordinance applies, because that is what decides whether the restriction is enforceable.
Price in the real cost of operating — cleaning between stays, higher insurance, licensing, and all three taxes.
Confirm your insurance covers transient occupancy. A standard homeowners policy generally does not, and discovering that at claim time is expensive.

Safety and operating requirements

A licensed vacation rental is a lodging establishment, which brings inspection and safety obligations that owners coming from long-term letting do not expect — smoke and carbon monoxide detection, fire extinguishers, balcony and railing requirements, and pool safety where applicable. These are checkable and enforced.

Licence and taxesThe four registrations — and why the platform is probably not paying your county.Local rules and preemptionWhat a city can and cannot stop you doing — and why the HOA can.InsuranceYour homeowners policy probably will not respond.Florida homeowners insuranceTransient occupancy usually needs a different policy.Long-term rentingDifferent law entirely — Chapter 83 rather than Chapter 509.

Professional office setting showing a key exchange symbolizing a business deal or real estate transaction.Photograph: RDNE Stock project / Pexels

Common questions

Do I need a licence to run a vacation rental in Florida?

Yes, once you rent an entire dwelling more than three times a year for periods under 30 days. At that point it is a public lodging establishment under Chapter 509 and must be licensed by DBPR.

Can my city ban short-term rentals in Florida?

It depends on timing. The state preempted new local prohibitions and rules on duration and frequency, but grandfathered ordinances already in force on 1 June 2011. A town that restricted rentals before that date can still enforce it.

Is there statewide short-term rental registration in Florida?

No. SB 280, which would have created one, was vetoed in June 2024. Many local registration schemes exist, but there is no statewide regime.

What taxes do I owe on a Florida vacation rental?

State sales tax at 6%, any local discretionary sales surtax, and county tourist development tax of roughly 2–6%. Platforms collect some of these in some counties and not others, so confirm with your county tax collector.

Can my HOA stop me renting short-term?

Yes. A state licence does not override association documents, and many declarations prohibit short-term letting outright. Association enforcement is typically faster than government enforcement.

Vacation rentals are licensed under Chapter 509 and taxed under Chapter 212, with tourist development tax set county by county. Local ordinances vary enormously — confirm your specific address with the city or county before operating.