Key Largo, 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?: Yes. An annual County Special Vacation Rental Permit, where your zone allows it.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 12.5%. Airbnb collects some; you pay Monroe County's 5% tourist tax yourself.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Get a Florida state rental license (DBPR) and sign up for Florida sales tax.
Confirm your district allows rentals under 28 days.
Get the permit, a licensed manager and a fire inspection.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Renting under 28 days in IS, URM or IS-M districts.

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

This is the general rule for Key Largo. 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
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Which permits and tax accounts you personally need
What you're missing right now
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Permit / license / registration

State license (Florida DBPR): Florida DBPR vacation rental / transient public lodging license (homestead room-rental exemptions may apply).
State licenses: Florida DBPR vacation rental license and FL Department of Revenue sales tax registration are required for all Florida vacation rentals.
Permit: Annual Special Vacation Rental Permit per unit, annual fire/life-safety inspection, and a licensed vacation rental manager. Permits don't transfer to new owners.

Zoning, where allowed & definitions

State preemption: Florida law (s. 509.032(7)(b), F.S.) bars local rules adopted after June 1, 2011 from prohibiting vacation rentals or regulating rental duration/frequency; older local rules still apply.
Where allowed: Key Largo is unincorporated Monroe County. Rentals under 28 days are banned in IS, URM and IS-M districts (except qualifying gated communities); allowed only in listed districts.

Night limits, minimum stays & occupancy

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

Fees, penalties & pending changes

Fees: $1,040 application (County page); the renewal form lists $100: verify which applies.
Advertising: Where short stays are banned, ads must show a 28-day minimum and monthly rates.

Taxes & who collects them

Register / account for FL state sales tax (6%)
Register / account for Monroe County surtax (1.5%)
Register / account for Local tourist/transient taxes (5%)
What Airbnb collects: Airbnb collects state 6% + 1.5% surtax only. Register with and remit Monroe County's 5% tourist development tax yourself.
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%. Monroe County tourist development tax 5% (Monroe County Tax Collector) plus 7.5% state sales tax incl. surtax. 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

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Is my Key Largo rental legal? Checklist