St. Petersburg, 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 permit is listed, but homes in residential areas can only be rented short-term 3 times a year.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 13%. Airbnb says it collects these for you; you still pay them on bookings outside Airbnb.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Check your zoning: residential homes are limited to 3 short stays a year.
Get a Florida state rental license (DBPR) and sign up for Florida sales tax.
Don't use a backyard unit (ADU) as a short-term rental.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Renting more than 3 times a year in a residential area.

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

This is the general rule for St. Petersburg. 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. The penalties St. Petersburg lists are on the St. Petersburg page.

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

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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).

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.
Residential limit: In residential districts, a property may be rented for under 30 days no more than 3 times in any consecutive 365-day period. More frequent short stays require a licensed hotel/motel or an approved Resort Facilities Overlay (none approved yet per the city).
ADUs: ADUs may not be used as short-term rentals; 30-day minimum.

Night limits, minimum stays & occupancy

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

Fees, penalties & pending changes

Fees & penalties: Verify with the city: code enforcement fines.

Taxes & who collects them

Register / account for FL state sales tax (6%)
Register / account for Pinellas County surtax (1%)
Register / account for Local tourist/transient taxes (6%)
What Airbnb collects: Airbnb collects state 6% + 1% surtax and the Pinellas County 6% tourist development tax.
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: 13%. Pinellas County tourist development tax is 6% (FL DOR DR-15TDT); surtax 1% (FL DOR 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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Is my St. Petersburg rental legal? Checklist