Florida Short-Term Rental Rules, City by City (Verified July 2026)
Program and regulatory figures verified July 24, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Buying a short-term rental in the wrong Florida jurisdiction is a six-figure mistake, but Florida works backwards from Texas: the state protects vacation rentals, and the restrictive cities are the grandfathered exceptions. This is the table we check before writing a loan.
The 2026 status table
| Jurisdiction | Status (as of July 24, 2026) | Cost | Key rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide (DBPR) | State license mandatory for stays <30 days offered >3x/yr | License required; fees vary by license type per DBPR | Two license classes (dwelling vs condominium); state preemption under §509.032(7)(b) |
| Miami Beach | Grandfathered pre-2011 prohibition in single-family + most residential | Among the steepest STR fines in the country | Allowed mainly in limited higher-density + entertainment zones with approval + BTR |
| City of Miami | Miami 21 transect: T3 residential effectively prohibits STR | DBPR + county Certificate of Use + city BTR | Lodging transects (T4/T5/T6/CI-HD) work; the building's own rules control |
| Orlando | Residential path is owner-present home sharing only | $275 first year / $125 renewal (per the city's current schedule) | Host present, one booking at a time, no more than half the bedrooms; whole-home not permitted in residential zones |
| Kissimmee / Osceola | STR-permissive Disney corridor (overlay districts) | Short-term-rental business tax receipt (city or county) | US-192 corridor; purpose-built STR communities; HOA rules override |
| Fort Lauderdale | Certificate of Compliance required | Registration + required inspection (about $350–$460 per the city's current schedule; verify on LauderBuild) | Sequence: DBPR license, Broward BTR, city application via LauderBuild |
| Destin | City registration, permitted zoning districts only | $500 to $700 a year by square footage | Occupancy 2 adults per bedroom plus 4, max 24; registration opens Jan 1 |
| Walton County / 30A | Annual county registration | Per the county portal (renewals due June 1) | DOR sales-tax number + Walton BTR + DBPR license |
| Panama City Beach | Vacation-rental certificate (Ordinance 1632) | Certificate + fire-safety inspection component | Re-registration and re-inspection cycle |
| Tampa | No city-specific STR permit regime in practice (as of July 2026) | State framework only | DBPR license + Hillsborough tourist development tax still required |
| Jacksonville | City certificate rules differ from Jacksonville Beach's separate program | Local business tax receipt (~$79.20/yr) | Confirm current city rules; DBPR license required |
Fees and statuses verified July 24, 2026 against city, county, and state sources; several regimes are grandfathered pre-2011 or run annual fee cycles. HOA and condo rules override city permission everywhere in Florida. Confirm current rules with the city and your association before purchase.
Why Florida is different: state preemption
Texas and Arizona leave short-term rentals to each city. Florida flips that. State law, §509.032(7)(b), preempts most local bans and stay-length rules: a local government may not prohibit vacation rentals or regulate how long or how often you rent, unless the ordinance was adopted on or before June 1, 2011. The restrictive regimes people actually run into, Miami Beach above all, are grandfathered antiques, not the norm. Cities can still regulate registration, noise, parking, and safety, just not the ban itself. SB 280, which would have rewritten this framework and centralized it under DBPR, was vetoed in 2024, and no statewide overhaul passed in 2025 or 2026 (as of July 2026).
The state license nobody mentions
The flip side of Florida's permissive framework is a mandatory state license that most city-focused guides bury. A Florida DBPR vacation rental license is required statewide to rent a property more than three times a year for stays under 30 days, or to advertise it that way. There are two license classes, dwelling and condominium, and you cannot mix them on one license. The license is required; fees vary by license type per DBPR, and you should confirm the current schedule at application. City and county registration stacks on top where it applies.
Orlando vs Kissimmee: 20 minutes, two legal worlds
This is the highest-traffic short-term-rental question in the state. Inside the City of Orlando's residential zones, the only legal path is owner-present home sharing: the host lives on site, rents one booking at a time, and uses no more than half the bedrooms, with registration reported at $275 the first year and $125 to renew (confirm the current fee on the city portal). Whole-home vacation villas are not permitted in those residential zones. The whole-home market lives about 20 minutes south, in Kissimmee and Osceola County's short-term-rental overlay districts and the Davenport and ChampionsGate corridor, where thousands of purpose-built rentals operate legally along US-192. Same tourism demand, opposite legal regime (as of July 2026).
What taxes do Florida Airbnb hosts pay?
Two layers, plus no income tax. Florida charges 6% state sales tax on transient rentals (stays of six months or less), and county tourist development tax stacks on top: Miami-Dade 6%, Miami Beach 7%, Broward, Orange, and Osceola 6%, Walton County 5% south of the bay and 3% north. Combined lodging taxes can top 13% in some counties. Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit the state tax and most county taxes automatically. None of this reduces qualifying rent (underwriting uses gross rent before lodging taxes), but all of it belongs in your operating model. Florida takes no state income tax on the profit.
No pressure, no obligation, and no salesy follow-up: a 20-minute call with our team, real numbers, and a straight answer on whether the deal pencils.
Frequently asked questions
Can Florida cities ban Airbnb?
Mostly no. State law (§509.032(7)(b)) preempts most local bans and stay-length rules; a city may not prohibit vacation rentals unless its ordinance predates June 1, 2011. The restrictive regimes people hit, like Miami Beach, are grandfathered pre-2011 holdovers. SB 280 would have rewritten this but was vetoed in 2024 (as of July 2026).
Do I need a license to run an Airbnb in Florida?
Yes: a state DBPR vacation rental license is mandatory statewide to rent more than three times a year for stays under 30 days, or to advertise as such. There are two license classes, dwelling and condominium. Texas and Arizona have no state license; Florida does. City or county registration may stack on top.
Is Airbnb legal in Miami Beach?
Only in limited higher-density and entertainment-district zones with approval and a business tax receipt. Miami Beach's pre-2011 ordinance is grandfathered, so short-term stays under six months are prohibited in single-family and most residential areas, backed by among the steepest short-term-rental fines in the country (as of July 2026).
Is Airbnb allowed in Orlando, and why does everyone buy in Kissimmee?
Orlando's residential zones permit only owner-present home sharing (host on site, one booking, no more than half the bedrooms; registration around $275 first year and $125 renewal per the city's current schedule). Whole-home vacation rentals are not allowed there. The whole-home market is 20 minutes south in Kissimmee and Osceola's overlay districts and the Davenport corridor, a completely different regime (as of July 2026).
What taxes do I pay on Airbnb income in Florida?
6% state sales tax on transient rentals (stays of six months or less) plus county tourist development tax: Miami-Dade 6%, Miami Beach 7%, Broward, Orange, and Osceola 6%, Walton 5% or 3%. Combined can top 13%. Platforms collect most of it. There is no state income tax on the profit. Confirm your county's current rate.
What do I need to rent my Destin or 30A house short-term?
Destin requires city registration in permitted zones, $500 to $700 a year by square footage, with occupancy caps. Walton County and 30A use an annual county registration (renewals due June 1). All of them also need the state DBPR license and the local business tax receipt. Confirm current fees on the city or county portal.
Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content, not a loan commitment and not legal, tax, or insurance advice. City and county STR rules, tax figures, and insurance requirements change; verify current requirements with the city, your association, your CPA, or a Florida real estate attorney before you buy. Loans are subject to buyer and property qualification.