Rental Rules by City / Florida / Kissimmee & Osceola County
Kissimmee & Osceola County short-term rental rules & tax calculator
📋 The Basics
- Can I rent my place short-term here?
- Only in some areas
- Do I need a permit?
- In the city, short stays need special zoning or approval; in the county, a county business tax receipt.
- What taxes do I pay?
- Total about 13.5%. Airbnb collects some; you pay Osceola County's 6% tourist tax yourself.
Your 3 steps to be legal
- Check that you're in the Short Term Rental Overlay or other approved zoning.
- Get a Florida state rental license (DBPR) and sign up for Florida sales tax.
- Sign up for Osceola County tourist tax.
⚠️ Biggest risk: Renting in a regular residential zone, where it's banned.
Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.
Tax calculator
Rates used: FL state sales tax 6% + Osceola County surtax 1.5% + Local tourist/transient taxes 6% = 13.5%. Mandatory cleaning fees are included in the taxable total. Osceola County tourist development tax is 6% (FL DOR DR-15TDT); surtax 1.5% (FL DOR DR-15DSS).
What Airbnb collects: Airbnb collects state 6% + 1.5% surtax only. You must register with and remit the Osceola County 6% tourist development tax yourself.
Advanced details (laws, fees, sources)
Rules
| State license | Florida DBPR vacation rental / transient public lodging license (homestead room-rental exemptions may apply). |
|---|---|
| State tax | 6% state sales tax plus county discretionary surtax on rentals of 6 months or less; register with Florida DOR unless your platform collects and remits for you. |
| Cleaning fees | 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). |
| 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. |
| City of Kissimmee | Rentals under 30 days in residential districts are prohibited unless in the Short Term Rental Overlay (STRO) with qualifying zoning/PUD approval or an approved conditional use (City Code 14-2-44, 14-2-64). |
| Unincorporated Osceola County | Confirm zoning allows STRs (STR overlay map / STRPD district), get a DBPR vacation rental license, then a Local Business Tax Receipt from the Osceola Tax Collector. |
| Fees & penalties | Verify with the city / county: permit and LBTR fee amounts. |
Items marked "Verify with the city" could not be confirmed from an official source; call the office listed before relying on them.
Sources
- Kissimmee Code 14-2-64 (short-term rental of residential dwellings)
- Kissimmee Code 14-2-44 (STR overlay district)
- Osceola County: STRPD and how to get an STR license
- Airbnb: Florida taxes it collects
- FL DOR DR-15TDT local transient rental tax rates
- FL DOR DR-15DSS 2026 surtax rates
- FL DOR GT-800034 rental of living accommodations
- FL Admin. Code 12A-1.061 (cleaning fees)
- FL DBPR lodging licensing
Updates & watch list
- Fines are set by law and can be changed: Florida caps local code-enforcement fines at $250/day for a first violation ($500 repeat); cities of 50,000+ can adopt up to $1,000/day first and $5,000/day repeat (Fla. Stat. 162.09). Source
- Statewide vacation rental bills recur: In 2024 the Legislature passed SB 280, which would have changed local registration of vacation rentals; it was vetoed. Similar bills can return in any session. Source
- Track current bills: Search pending Florida bills on vacation rentals and transient rentals. Source
Checked Oct 24, 2026. We list only changes and pending items we can source.
Free tools
Free "Is my rental legal?" checklist · Free tourist tax calculator
Rules can change
Kissimmee & Osceola County's rules, its tax rates and platform policies can change through a council vote, a new state law or a court ruling, often with little notice to hosts. We re-check this page monthly; subscribers get notified. Stay Compliant for $4.99/mo.
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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.
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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.