Is Airbnb Legal in Fort Lauderdale? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

Registration required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

13%

Fine for hosting without a permit

Up to $15,000

Listings showing a permit number

0%

Latest rule change

Oct 15, 2026

Listing figures: AirROI, 12 months to September 2026. A number on a listing doesn't prove the permit or license is valid, and a missing one doesn't prove there is none.

The rules in brief

Who needs it

The owner of any single-family, two-family, three-family or four-family house, dwelling unit or condominium unit that is rented to guests more than three times a year for stays under 30 days, or advertised as regularly rented, other than a timeshare. Owner-occupied hosts register too; a homestead host renting only a room is exempt from the state DBPR license, not from the city registration.^10,11,16,17

Issued by

City of Fort Lauderdale, Community Enhancement and Compliance Division

Valid for

Each certificate expires on September 30, whatever the issue date. Renewal applications are due by August 1; one filed after September 30 is processed as a new $880 application with a new inspection. The state DBPR license renews on December 1 in Broward County.

Processing

About 5 business days once an application is accepted, and 10 to 12 business days during the August to September renewal rush; the certificate follows within 3 business days of a passed inspection.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

The certificate number must appear in all advertising, and the city treats any advertisement for stays under 30 days as evidence of operating. The city sends renewal and ordinance notices through its vendor Neumo STR (formerly Avenu).

Fees

Who qualifies

• State and county licenses come first, in this order: DBPR vacation rental license (a homestead host renting only a room is exempt with a notarized letter), Florida Department of Revenue sales tax registration, Broward County Business Tax Receipt and Broward County Tourist Development Tax registration. A platform tax statement or notarized letter is accepted where the platform remits the state or county tax.
• Proof of ownership from the Broward County Property Appraiser; a notarized letter of authorization if the applicant is not the owner, and Sunbiz ownership records for a business-owned property.
• A sample guest lease with the wording the ordinance requires, and a sketch or photo of the off-street parking spaces.
• A responsible party reachable 24 hours a day who can respond in person within one hour.
• A noise level detection device, a passed safety inspection, and no active code violations or unpaid city fines or liens on the property.
• Accessory dwellings in the RS-8 and RD-15 zoning districts cannot be used as vacation rentals.

How to apply

1. 1 Get the state and county licenses in order: DBPR vacation rental license, Department of Revenue sales tax registration, Broward County Business Tax Receipt and Broward County Tourist Development Tax registration (or the platform tax statements).
2. 2 Gather proof of ownership, a sample guest lease with the required wording, a sketch or photo of the off-street parking and, for a room-only homestead host, the notarized statement.
3. 3 Submit the Vacation Rental application in the city's LauderBuild portal; incomplete applications are rejected and missing items must be resubmitted within 10 business days.
4. 4 Pay the registration invoice and the city Business Tax invoice emailed after approval; the code officer then contacts you within 3 business days to book the inspection.
5. 5 Pass the inspection (a failed property is reinspected after 10 days) and the certificate is issued within 3 business days; post it inside the main entrance and put its number in every listing.

Permit rules

Every vacation rental needs a city certificate of compliance

The owner must register the property with the city and hold a Vacation Rental Certificate of Compliance before letting anyone stay or offering the property for rent. It covers single-family to four-family homes and condo units advertised for 30 days or less, and excludes timeshares.^10,15 Applies to: houses, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and condo units

State and county licenses come before the city application

A host must hold the DBPR license, Florida sales tax registration, a Broward County Business Tax Receipt and Broward tourist tax registration before applying to the city. A platform tax statement or notarized letter is accepted where the platform remits the state or county tax.¹⁶

Whole-home rentals need a DBPR vacation rental license

Each public lodging establishment, including a vacation rental, must obtain a license from DBPR. The license cannot be transferred from one place or person to another.^3,11 Applies to: entire homes, condos and units rented more than three times a year for under 30 days

The state license renews each December 1 in Broward County

DBPR renews vacation rental licenses by district, and Broward County is on the December 1 cycle, separate from the city's September 30 certificate date.¹¹ Applies to: Broward County licenses

A homestead host renting only a room skips the state license

If the property is a homestead, owner-occupied and rented by the room only, the host is exempt from providing the DBPR license and submits a notarized letter or a notarized DBPR statement instead. The city registration still applies.^11,16 Applies to: owner-occupied homestead, room rentals only

The certificate number goes in every advertisement

All advertising must match the certificate, especially the maximum occupancy, and must include the certificate of compliance number. The certificate itself is posted inside next to the main entrance door.¹⁰

An advertisement counts as evidence of operating

Advertising a house or unit for stays under 30 days is direct evidence of offering it as a vacation rental and can be used in enforcement. A host cited for operating can comply by getting the certificate or by closing every advertisement and sending the code officer proof.^10,18

Certificates expire every September 30; renew by August 1

Every registration and certificate expires on September 30 of each year, and renewal applications are due by August 1 (60 days before expiry). A certificate issued within 180 days before September 30 stays valid until September 30 of the following year.^10,17

A late renewal costs $100; after September 30 it is a new $880 application

A renewal that is incomplete or filed after the August 1 deadline pays a $100 late fee. If it is not complete and paid by September 30 it is processed as a new application with the $880 fee and a new inspection, owner-occupied properties included.¹⁷

Airbnb collects the state tax, the surtax and the Broward tourist tax

Airbnb collects the 6% Florida transient rental tax, the county discretionary sales surtax and the 6% Broward County tourist development tax on reservations of 182 nights and shorter. The host remains responsible for other tax obligations, including the sales tax registration the city asks for.^14,26 Applies to: Airbnb bookings

Owners who live in the home and owners who do not can both register

Fort Lauderdale registers owner-occupied homes and homes the owner does not live in. The difference is the renewal fee ($200 for an owner-occupied homestead, $650 otherwise) and whether a renewal inspection is needed.¹⁷

Accessory dwellings in RS-8 and RD-15 zones cannot be vacation rentals

Accessory dwelling units in the RS-8 and RD-15 zoning districts cannot be used as vacation rentals; doing so violates Section 47-19.2.A.7 of the city's Unified Land Development Regulations. Neighbors and owners can check a zoning designation in the city's GIS system.¹⁷ Applies to: accessory dwellings in RS-8 and RD-15

Condo rental bans bind only consenting or later owners

A condominium amendment that prohibits renting, changes the rental term or limits how often units can be rented applies only to owners who consent and owners who buy after it takes effect. Your condo's declaration as recorded when you bought still controls.⁵ Applies to: condominium units

An HOA can restrict rentals under six months, or more than three a year

A homeowners' association may amend its governing documents to prohibit or regulate rentals for terms under 6 months and to prohibit renting a parcel more than three times a year. Those amendments apply to all parcel owners.⁶ Applies to: parcels in homeowners' associations

A safety inspection comes before the certificate, then every year

A code officer inspects the home before the first certificate is issued, and an issued certificate is re-inspected annually. Violations must be corrected and re-inspected within 30 days or the certificate is suspended. An owner-occupied homestead renewal filed before the deadline needs no inspection.^10,17

Hard-wired smoke and CO alarms, extinguishers and a landline are required

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms must be interconnected and hard-wired, a 2A:10B:C fire extinguisher is needed on each floor, and at least one landline phone able to call 911 must be on the main level. Pools and spas must meet the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act, and an evacuation map must be posted by every bedroom door.¹⁰

Two guests per legal bedroom

Overnight occupancy is limited to 2 persons per sleeping room, confirmed by the inspector against the legal bedroom count. Up to four children under 13 are not counted.^10,16

Gatherings are capped at 1.5 times the overnight limit and 20 people

The number of people allowed to gather at or occupy a vacation rental may not exceed one and a half times the overnight occupancy shown on the certificate, and never 20. The cap does not apply to owner-occupied rentals when the owner is on site.¹⁰

Every rental needs a noise level detection device

Each vacation rental must have a noise monitor that alerts the owner or responsible party and the guests, and the data must be kept for 180 days and given to the city on request. Guests must also be told that sound may not be plainly audible for a minute or longer at 25 feet from the property line from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., or at 50 feet from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.^9,10 In force since September 19, 2023

All vehicles must be parked in the property's driveway

Every vehicle associated with the rental must be parked in a driveway on the property, and the application includes a sketch or photo of the off-street spaces. Trash containers may not be put at the curb before 6 p.m. the day before pickup and must be removed before midnight on pickup day.^10,16

A responsible party must answer 24/7 and arrive within one hour

The owner names a responsible party whose phone is answered around the clock and who must be close enough to respond in person within one hour of a call from a guest, the police or the city. That person must also keep a guest register open to city inspection.¹⁰

No night cap: Florida bars cities from limiting how often a home is rented

Article X contains no annual night limit. Section 509.032(7)(b) bars a local ordinance adopted after June 1, 2011 from prohibiting vacation rentals or regulating how long or how often they are rented, and Fort Lauderdale's program dates from 2015.^1,10

Stays under 30 days make a home a vacation rental

The city's definition covers homes rented more than three times a year for periods of less than 30 days (or one calendar month, whichever is less) or advertised as regularly rented. Longer stays are ordinary tenancies outside the program, and the state's own definition now reads less than 30 consecutive days.^2,10 In force since July 1, 2025

Renting a homestead can end the homestead exemption

Renting all or substantially all of a home previously claimed as homestead counts as abandoning the homestead until the owner lives there again. Abandonment after January 1 does not affect that year's exemption unless the home is rented for more than 30 days a year for two consecutive years.⁸ Applies to: homestead-exempt owners renting the whole home

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$250

Taxes on that night (13%)

$33

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$283

What the host still handles

• Florida Department of Revenue: register to collect, report and remit sales tax on transient rentals (DR-1). The city accepts a platform tax statement or a notarized letter where the platform remits the state tax.
• Broward County Tourist Development Tax account with Records, Taxes and Treasury, or a platform statement where the platform remits it (Airbnb remits for its own bookings).
• Broward County Local Business Tax Receipt and City of Fort Lauderdale Business Tax Receipt ($157.50 to renew); both expire on September 30.
• DBPR vacation rental license for whole-home rentals (renewed each December 1 in Broward County).^{7,12,13,14,20,26}

• Operating a vacation rental during a certificate suspension: up to $1,000 a day for a first violation, $5,000 a day for a repeat violation and up to $15,000 per violation if the special magistrate finds the violation irreparable.^9,10
• Advertising, renting or operating without a valid city Vacation Rental Certificate of Compliance: a civil penalty of $1,000 per day (approved September 15, 2026).^15,19
• Operating with an expired certificate: $1,000 per day, up from $250; a complete, timely renewal that is pending only because of city processing time is not penalized.^15,19
• Other violations of Article X are civil infractions: $250 for a first uncontested violation and $325 if contested, with repeat violations assessed under Section 11-21 of the city code.¹⁰
• A special magistrate may suspend the certificate for 180 days on a third violation and 365 days on a fourth; the property cannot take guests during a suspension.¹⁰
• State level: operating a public lodging establishment, including a vacation rental, without a DBPR license is a second-degree misdemeanor.³
• State level: DBPR may fine a licensee up to $1,000 per offense and may suspend, revoke or refuse a license.⁴

1. October 15, 2026
   Ordinance C-26-39 takes effect

   The ordinance becomes effective 30 days after adoption, which puts the effective date at October 15, 2026 for the September 15 approval.^9,15

2. September 15, 2026
   Commission approves higher penalties for unregistered rentals

   The City Commission approved Ordinance C-26-39: a $1,000-per-day civil penalty for operating without a valid certificate, an expired-certificate penalty raised from $250 to $1,000 a day, protection for complete and timely renewals pending only because of city processing, and a rule that changes in ownership or management do not erase existing violations.^15,19

3. August 18, 2026 Not in force
   Ordinance C-26-39 passes first reading

   The ordinance clarifying enforcement authority, revising suspension and penalty provisions, adding inspection access requirements and preserving enforcement after ownership changes passed first reading.⁹

4. June 2, 2026
   Commission reviews vacation rental enforcement

   The City Commission received a presentation on the Vacation Rental Enforcement Program and directed staff and the City Attorney to draft amendments.⁹

5. July 1, 2025
   Florida defines transient lodging as under 30 consecutive days

   SB 606 (chapter 2025-113) revised the statutory definition of a transient public lodging establishment to rentals of less than 30 consecutive days. It did not change the preemption in s. 509.032(7).²

6. September 19, 2023
   Noise monitors, higher penalties and a suspension schedule

   The City Commission's 2023 amendment to Article X (codified Ordinance C-23-34) required a noise level detection device at every vacation rental, raised penalties and revised the certificate suspension rules.^9,10

Estimate what a Fort Lauderdale home could earn

1. 1. Florida Statutes s. 509.032 (Duties; preemption of vacation rental regulation) · The Florida Legislature
2. 2. Florida Statutes s. 509.013 (Definitions) · The Florida Legislature
3. 3. Florida Statutes s. 509.241 (Licenses required) · The Florida Legislature
4. 4. Florida Statutes s. 509.261 (Revocation or suspension of licenses; fines) · The Florida Legislature
5. 5. Florida Statutes s. 718.110 (Amendment of declaration) · The Florida Legislature
6. 6. Florida Statutes s. 720.306 (Meetings of members; voting and election; amendments) · The Florida Legislature
7. 7. Florida Statutes s. 212.03 (Transient rentals tax) · The Florida Legislature
8. 8. Florida Statutes s. 196.061 (Rental of homestead to constitute abandonment) · The Florida Legislature
9. 9. Ordinance No. C-26-39 (amending Article X, Vacation Rental) · City of Fort Lauderdale
10. 10. Article X. Vacation Rental, Chapter 15, Code of Ordinances · Municode Library (City of Fort Lauderdale)
11. 11. Vacation Rentals and Timeshare Projects: licensing guide · Florida DBPR, Division of Hotels and Restaurants
12. 12. Local Option Transient Rental Tax Rates (DR-15TDT, R. 03/25) · Florida Department of Revenue
13. 13. Discretionary Sales Surtax Information for Calendar Year 2026 (DR-15DSS, R. 11/25) · Florida Department of Revenue
14. 14. Tax Information for Hotels, Motels, and Other Transient Accommodations (GT-800034, R. 10/25) · Florida Department of Revenue
15. 15. Vacation Rental Program · City of Fort Lauderdale, Community Enhancement and Compliance
16. 16. Vacation Rental Registration · City of Fort Lauderdale, Community Enhancement and Compliance
17. 17. Vacation Rental Renewal · City of Fort Lauderdale, Community Enhancement and Compliance
18. 18. Vacation Rental Enforcement · City of Fort Lauderdale, Community Enhancement and Compliance
19. 19. Vacation Rental Ordinance Amendment Adopted (September 15, 2026) · City of Fort Lauderdale, Community Enhancement and Compliance
20. 20. Local Business Tax: frequently asked questions · Broward County Tax Collector
21. 21. Vacation Rental Enforcement Citywide FY26 (report dated 9/30/2026) · City of Fort Lauderdale
22. 22. Vacation rental properties in District 1 (report dated 9/30/2026) · City of Fort Lauderdale
23. 23. Vacation rental properties in District 2 (report dated 9/30/2026) · City of Fort Lauderdale
24. 24. Vacation rental properties in District 3 (report dated 9/30/2026) · City of Fort Lauderdale
25. 25. Vacation rental properties in District 4 (report dated 9/30/2026) · City of Fort Lauderdale
26. 26. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Florida · Airbnb Help Center