Rental Rules by City

    Plain-English glossary

    Words you will see on this site, explained simply.

    Short-term rental (STR)
    Renting out a home, condo or room for a short stay, usually under 30 days (some places use 6 months). Airbnb and Vrbo stays are short-term rentals.
    Permit / license / registration
    Official permission from the city, county or state to rent your place. Different places use different names for it.
    Business Tax Receipt (BTR)
    A yearly local business license. Many Florida cities and counties require one for rentals.
    Certificate of Use (CU)
    A city document saying your property is allowed to be used for a certain purpose, like renting.
    DBPR license
    Florida's state license for vacation rentals, from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
    Tourist tax (bed tax, occupancy tax, TOT, HOT)
    A tax guests pay on short stays, on top of sales tax. You or the platform collect it and send it to the government.
    Sales tax
    The state (and sometimes county) tax charged on the rent for short stays.
    Surtax
    An extra county sales tax added to the state sales tax in Florida.
    Remit / file
    To send the tax you collected to the government, usually with a form (a return) every month or quarter.
    Zoning
    City rules for what each area can be used for. Your zoning decides whether short-term rentals are allowed at your address.
    Overlay district
    A special zone drawn on top of regular zoning, for example an area where short-term rentals are allowed.
    HOA / condo association
    The group that runs your neighborhood or building. Its rules can ban or limit rentals even when the city allows them.
    Primary residence / owner-occupied
    The home you live in most of the year. Some cities only allow rentals of your own primary home.
    Transient
    Staying a short time. A "transient rental" is a short-term rental.
    Minimum stay
    The shortest rental a guest may book, for example 7 nights.
    State preemption
    When a state law stops cities from making certain rules. In Florida, cities can't ban vacation rentals with rules adopted after June 1, 2011.
    ADU
    Accessory dwelling unit: a small extra home on the same lot, like a backyard cottage or garage apartment.
    Inspection
    A visit from the city to check safety items like smoke alarms, exits and parking.

    Free pages show the general rule. Does your address qualify?

    Know the words, now get your answer: we check which of these (permit, zoning, HOA, tax accounts) apply to your exact address.

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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.