Delray Beach, FL Short-Term Rental Checklist (Free, Printable)

📋 The Basics

Can I rent my place short-term here?: Only in some areas
Do I need a permit?: No separate city permit was found, but state and county rules still apply.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 12.5%. Airbnb collects some; you pay Palm Beach County's 6% tourist tax yourself.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Check your zoning: frequent rentals aren't allowed in single-family areas.
Get a Florida state rental license (DBPR) and sign up for Florida sales tax.
Sign up for Palm Beach County tourist tax and ask the city about a Business Tax Receipt.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Renting more than six times a year in a single-family zone.

Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.

This is the general rule for Delray Beach. Does your address qualify?

The free info covers the city as a whole. Your property can still be different: zoning can change from one street to the next, and an HOA or condo ban can stop rentals even where the city allows them.

Your $49 Compliance Check looks at your exact property:

Whether your exact address and zone allow short-term rentals
A check of HOA / condo rental restrictions to look for
Which permits and tax accounts you personally need
What you're missing right now
A personal report with clear next steps and official sources, by email
A refund if we report a rule in error (refund policy)

🔎 How we check: official city, county and state sources, a last-verified date on every page, and nothing guessed. Learn more

Check my address: $49

🔔 Stay notified: $4.99/month

Rules don't change every week, but they do change, and nobody emails you when they do. We'll alert you when city rules, tourist taxes, HOA-related laws, or Airbnb/Vrbo policies change in Delray Beach. Cancel anytime.

Stay notified

Need guest waivers and booking tools too? Click here for more info

Permit / license / registration

State license (Florida DBPR): Florida DBPR vacation rental / transient public lodging license (homestead room-rental exemptions may apply).
Registration: No separate city vacation rental permit found; state DBPR license, FL DOR and Palm Beach County tourist tax registration still apply. Confirm city Business Tax Receipt needs with the city.

Zoning, where allowed & definitions

Zoning (Transient Residential Use): Under the city's 2009 rule (LDR 4.3.3), a home with more than six occupancy turnovers a year is a transient residential use: prohibited in Single Family and Planned Residential districts, allowed in Medium Density Residential (RM). Ord. 21-26 (passed Apr 21, 2026) removed the stricter 2012 three-turnover rule as preempted by the state. Check your parcel's zoning district.

Night limits, minimum stays & occupancy

Not listed on our page: Verify with the city/county before renting.

Fees, penalties & pending changes

Not listed on our page: Verify with the city/county before renting.

Taxes & who collects them

Register / account for FL state sales tax (6%)
Register / account for Palm Beach County surtax (0.5%)
Register / account for Local tourist/transient taxes (6%)
What Airbnb collects: Airbnb collects state 6% + 0.5% surtax only. Palm Beach County's 6% tourist development tax is NOT on Airbnb's list: register and file it yourself with the Palm Beach County Tax Collector.
Vrbo and direct bookings: check which taxes Vrbo collects in your area; for direct bookings you collect and remit all of them yourself.
Mandatory cleaning fees charged to guests are taxable as part of the rental (state, surtax and tourist tax). Only an optional, separately itemized fee the guest can decline is excluded (FL Admin. Code 12A-1.061).

Total rate: 12.5%. Palm Beach County surtax is 0.5% for 2026 (1% infrastructure surtax ended Dec 31, 2025; 0.5% school surtax runs 2026-2035, per FL DOR). County tourist development tax 6% (DOR DR-15TDT). Calculate.

HOA / condo check

Read your declaration, bylaws and rules for rental bans, minimum terms, caps and approval requirements.
Get any association sign-off or approval letter your city or association requires.
See our HOA & condo guide.

Insurance

Confirm your homeowner/condo policy covers short-term rental use, or add a short-term rental policy. Platform host protection is not a substitute for insurance.
Ask your association whether it requires specific liability coverage.

Deadlines

Renew city/county permits or registrations on their schedule (often annually): confirm the date with the office that issued it.
Florida sales and transient rental tax returns: due the 1st, late after the 20th of the month after the reporting period.
Property tax dates: see Florida deadlines.

Official sources

Get this checklist by email

Free. We'll email you the Delray Beach checklist link and occasional notes when rules or tax rates on this site change. Unsubscribe anytime by replying "stop".

Email

City

By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.

Want it done for you?

Get a personalized STR Compliance Check ($49) for your exact address in any US city: the permits, registrations and tax accounts you need, with official sources, delivered by email in 48 business hours. Not legal advice.

Pay $49, Get My Compliance Check

By paying, you agree to our Terms and Refund Policy How we verify.

Stay Compliant: $4.99/month

Rules, tax rates and Airbnb/Vrbo policies can change without warning, and hosts who miss a change can be fined. Get alerts when your city, county or state changes, deadline reminders, a pending-bill watch list and a monthly host brief (even in quiet months: "we checked on [date]; no changes"). Compare plans.

Subscribe, $4.99/month

By paying, you agree to our Terms and Refund Policy.

Is my Delray Beach rental legal? Checklist