Rental Rules by City / Free checklist / Port St. Joe

Is my Port St. Joe rental legal? Checklist

Gulf County, Florida · Based on our Port St. Joe page, last verified Oct 24, 2026 · Print

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📋 The Basics

Can I rent my place short-term here?: Yes, with a license or tax registration
Do I need a permit?: Yes, with a city business license and tax registration.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 12%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Confirm zoning.
Get a city business license.
Register for Gulf County TDT.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Not registering for county TDT.

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

This is the general rule for Port St. Joe. 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.

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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
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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).
City: Confirm zoning, then get a City business license; register with FL DBPR and the Gulf County Tax Collector (TDT).

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.
County: Gulf County STR license/inspection applies to unincorporated areas, not city limits.

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 Gulf County surtax (1%)
Register / account for Gulf tourist development tax (5%)
What Airbnb collects: Verify in payouts which taxes your platform remits.
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%. Gulf County tourist development tax 5% (county-collected, FL DOR DR-15TDT); surtax 1% (DR-15DSS). 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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Not legal or tax advice. Last verified Oct 24, 2026. Rules and rates change: confirm with the official sources linked before you rent or file.