Is Airbnb Legal in Orlando? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

Registration required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

12.5%

Fine for hosting without a permit

Up to $5,000

Listings showing a permit number

0%

Latest rule change

Jul 1, 2025

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

Any Orlando resident who rents bedrooms or another part of the home they live in for stays under 30 days, including through Airbnb or VRBO.^1,2,10,11

Issued by

City of Orlando, City Planning Division

Valid for

The registration is paid for each year; the city charges an annual fee to keep it active, and a violation of the home sharing rules leads to revocation.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

The registration approval must appear with every online listing; the city's pages describe no platform verification of registration numbers.

Fees

Who qualifies

• The registrant lives on site and is present when hosting guests, and provides two forms of proof of residence to establish primary residency.
• The home is inside the City of Orlando limits; unincorporated Orange County has separate rules.
• No more than half of the dwelling unit (half the bedrooms) is used for home sharing, with one booking at a time.
• A tenant registrant provides notarized permission from the landlord or owner.
• A home in a mandatory homeowners' association includes an approval letter from the HOA.
• One half of a duplex may be home-shared only if both units are on the same lot and under one ownership.
• The home is not set up as a group home (for example with locks or partitions limiting access to parts of the home).

How to apply

1. 1 Confirm the address is inside the City of Orlando limits (the Orange County Property Appraiser lists the municipality); unincorporated addresses follow Orange County rules.
2. 2 Check the property's zoning on the city's Zoning Portal and gather two forms of proof of residence, the bedroom count, a notarized owner permission letter if you are a tenant, and an HOA approval letter if the home is in a mandatory HOA.
3. 3 Apply online for the Home Sharing Registration and pay the $275 first-year fee.
4. 4 Link the proof of registration to every online advertisement and describe the listing as the part of the home you rent, for example one bedroom in a three-bedroom house.

Permit rules

Home sharing needs a city registration with an annual fee

The host applies online and pays a $275 first-year fee, then $100 a year if the owner lives on the property or $125 a year if not.^1,10 In force since July 1, 2018

Show the registration on every online ad

Proof of registration must be linked to any online advertising, and the ad must describe only the part of the home that is rented, for example one bedroom in a three-bedroom house.^1,10

Violations lead to revocation of the registration

Any violation of the home sharing standards or of another law applicable to the property results in revocation of the registration approval. Taxes on the stays must be remitted.¹

Whole-unit rentals need the Florida DBPR vacation rental license

A whole unit rented more than three times a year for under 30 days needs a state vacation rental license from DBPR. For Orange County, the license renews each April 1 and costs $50 to apply, $10 for education and $170 a year for one unit ($90 for a half-year license).^13,14 Applies to: entire units

Renting only a room does not need the DBPR license

Renting a single room or rooms rather than the whole unit is not classified as public lodging, so no state license applies. The city registration still does.¹³ Applies to: room rentals

Airbnb collects the state tax, the surtax and Orange County's tourist tax

On stays of 182 nights or fewer, Airbnb collects and remits the 6% Florida transient rental tax, the county surtax and the 6% Orange County tourist development tax.²² Applies to: Airbnb bookings

The host must live on site and be present

Home sharing is for hosted visits only. The registered resident, an owner or a tenant, lives on the property and is there while guests stay.^1,10 In force since July 1, 2018

Renting an entire home is not allowed as home sharing

An owner cannot rent all the bedrooms or the whole unit for 1 to 29 days under the home share rules. Whole-property rentals are a separate category with their own zoning and tax receipt.^10,11 Applies to: entire homes and units · In force since July 1, 2018

Two proofs of residence establish primary residency

The application includes two forms of proof that the applicant lives at the property, plus the total bedroom count and how many bedrooms will be used for guests.^1,10

No more than half the home can be used

Only half of the bedrooms, at most, can be devoted to guests: one bedroom in a three-bedroom house, or two in a four-bedroom house.¹⁰

A mandatory HOA must approve in writing

If the home is in a mandatory homeowners' association, the registration includes an approval letter from the HOA. HOA covenants can add further limits.¹⁰ Applies to: homes in HOAs

Tenants need notarized permission from the owner

A tenant can register if the tenant lives on site and provides notarized permission from the landlord or owner.^1,10 Applies to: tenants

Duplex halves and two-family units

Home sharing is an accessory use to houses, attached homes, multifamily homes and similar residential uses. In a two-family dwelling the owner may rent the entire other unit if the owner lives in the first unit, the rented unit is no larger, and both are under one ownership.^1,10 Applies to: two-family dwellings

Whole-property rentals are a Commercial Dwelling Unit in limited zones

The city classifies a whole-property rental as a Commercial Dwelling Unit, which is limited to certain zoning districts and requires a Business Tax Receipt. The city's Zoning Portal shows which districts allow it.^10,11 Applies to: entire homes and units

Outside city limits, Orange County rules apply

The city's home share rules apply only inside Orlando. The county collecting a tourist tax does not make short-term rentals allowed everywhere: the city says only about 4% of Orange County is zoned for short-term rentals.¹⁰ Applies to: properties outside the City of Orlando

State law limits local bans and caps, except rules from 2011 or earlier

Florida bars local rules that prohibit vacation rentals or regulate how long or how often they are rented, unless the local rule was adopted on or before June 1, 2011.⁴ In force since June 1, 2011

One booking at a time

Only a single booking is allowed at one time, so a host cannot rent separate rooms to different parties on the same nights.^1,10

Four unrelated guests, or two per room

A single booking can have no more than four unrelated people, or two people per room, whichever is less.^1,10

Home sharing covers stays under 30 days

In Orlando a short-term rental is a stay of less than 30 days. Stays of 30 days or more are ordinary residential leases outside the home share rules.¹¹

Commercial Dwelling Unit stays run 7 to 29 consecutive days

A Commercial Dwelling Unit is a self-contained unit rented for 7 to 29 consecutive days. A unit rented for fewer than 7 consecutive days is classified as a motel.² Applies to: entire homes and units

Home sharing is an accessory use, not a business or vacation rental

The city code defines owner-occupied home sharing as an accessory residential use. It is not treated as a transient establishment or vacation rental under Chapter 509, Florida Statutes, or as a business for the city's business tax chapter.²

Converted spaces must be inspected before they are rented

Living spaces must be properly inspected and permitted. A garage or carport enclosure cannot be rented until its inspection is finalized.¹¹ Applies to: converted spaces

No group-home set-ups

A home sharing property cannot be arranged as a group home, for example with locks, partitions or individually kept kitchen equipment that limit free access to parts of the home.¹⁰

Renting a whole homestead can end the homestead exemption

Renting all or substantially all of a home previously claimed as homestead counts as abandoning the homestead for tax purposes.⁸ Applies to: homestead-exempt owners renting the whole home

Hosts remit the tourist tax monthly when they collect it themselves

Whoever collects the rent from the guest must collect the 6% Orange County tourist development tax and remit it to the Orange County Comptroller. Returns are monthly, due on the 1st of the following month and delinquent after the 20th.²¹ Applies to: bookings made outside Airbnb

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$175

Taxes on that night (12.5%)

$22

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$197

What the host still handles

• Florida Department of Revenue: register (DR-1) to collect, report and remit sales tax on transient rentals; Airbnb remits the state tax and surtax on its own bookings, so an Airbnb-only host should confirm with DOR whether returns are still needed.
• Orange County tourist development tax: the person who collects the rent from the guest, owner or manager, collects the tax and remits it to the Orange County Comptroller; for bookings outside Airbnb this is a monthly return, due on the 1st and delinquent after the 20th.
• Business Tax Receipt and Certificate of Use with the City of Orlando for a Commercial Dwelling Unit (whole-property rental); home sharing is not treated as a business for the city's business tax.
• DBPR vacation rental license for any whole unit rented more than three times a year for under 30 days.^{7,15,16,17,20,21,22}

• Code Enforcement Board: up to $1,000 per day for a first violation after the compliance date, up to $5,000 per day for a repeat violation, and up to $15,000 per violation if the violation is irreparable or irreversible.³
• Citation: home sharing violations are a Class II civil infraction, with a reduced penalty of $100 for a first offense and $200 for a second, then a mandatory court hearing; the maximum civil penalty is $500 per violation, and each day is a separate violation.³
• Registration revocation: a violation of any home sharing standard or other law applying to the property leads to revocation of the registration.¹
• Late or missing tourist development tax: a penalty of 10% of the tax due on the return or $50, whichever is greater, plus interest.²¹
• State: operating a whole-unit rental without the DBPR license is a second-degree misdemeanor, and DBPR can fine a licensee up to $1,000 per offense.^5,6

1. July 1, 2025
   Transient lodging means stays under 30 consecutive days

   Chapter 2025-113 (SB 606) revised the state definition of a transient public lodging establishment to rentals of less than 30 consecutive days. It did not change the s. 509.032(7) limits on local rules.^9,18

2. June 27, 2024
   Governor vetoes CS/SB 280 (vetoed, not struck down by a court)

   Governor DeSantis vetoed the bill that would have moved vacation rental registration and platform rules to the state, leaving the s. 509.032(7) limits on local rules unchanged.¹⁹

3. July 19, 2021
   Ordinance 2021-45 amends the home sharing registration procedure

   Ordinance 2021-45, adopted July 19, 2021, is the latest amendment listed in the city code for the home sharing registration procedure (Sec. 58.990).¹

4. July 1, 2018
   Orlando home sharing ordinance takes effect

   The city's home share ordinance took effect on July 1, 2018, creating the registration for residents who rent part of the home they live in.¹⁰

Estimate what an Orlando home could earn

1. 1. Orlando Code of Ordinances, Chapter 58, Part 5B(19) Owner-Occupied Home Sharing (Secs. 58.989 and 58.990) · City of Orlando (Municode)
2. 2. Orlando Code of Ordinances, Chapter 66 Definitions · City of Orlando (Municode)
3. 3. Orlando Code of Ordinances, Chapter 5 Code Enforcement (Secs. 5.03, 5.07, 5.12, 5.19) · City of Orlando (Municode)
4. 4. Florida Statutes s. 509.032 (Duties; preemption of vacation rental regulation) · The Florida Legislature
5. 5. Florida Statutes s. 509.241 (Licenses required) · The Florida Legislature
6. 6. Florida Statutes s. 509.261 (Revocation or suspension of licenses; fines) · 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. Florida Statutes s. 509.013 (Definitions) · The Florida Legislature
10. 10. Home Sharing Registration · City of Orlando
11. 11. Fact Sheet: Short-Term Rentals (August 2021) · City of Orlando, City Planning
12. 12. Short Term Rental Licenses · City of Orlando Open Data Portal
13. 13. Vacation Rentals and Timeshare Projects: licensing guide · Florida DBPR, Division of Hotels and Restaurants
14. 14. Lodging license fees · Florida DBPR, Division of Hotels and Restaurants
15. 15. Local Option Transient Rental Tax Rates (DR-15TDT, R. 03/25) · Florida Department of Revenue
16. 16. Discretionary Sales Surtax Information for Calendar Year 2026 (DR-15DSS, R. 11/25) · Florida Department of Revenue
17. 17. Tax Information for Hotels, Motels, and Other Transient Accommodations (GT-800034, R. 10/25) · Florida Department of Revenue
18. 18. SB 606 (2025): Public Lodging and Public Food Service Establishments, bill page (Chapter 2025-113) · The Florida Senate
19. 19. Governor Ron DeSantis Vetoes One Bill (2024-06-27) · Executive Office of the Governor of Florida
20. 20. Florida Business Tax Application (DR-1, R. 01/26) · Florida Department of Revenue
21. 21. Finance - Tourist Development Tax FAQs · Orange County Comptroller
22. 22. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Florida · Airbnb Help Center