The State of Florida has defined the different types of lodging establishments, which include vacation rentals. Most of the listings on Airbnb are classified as vacation rentals. But that categorization might not apply to the other listings. To determine your listing category and short term rental regulations, you can seek information from the Florida DBPR’s website.
All vacation rentals in Florida must be licensed through the Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR) in order to operate.
Vacation Rentals
For Florida, a vacation rental is defined as “any unit or group of units in an individually or collectively owned house that is also a temporary public lodging establishment”. It could be a single-family, two-family, or four-family dwelling unit.
To get a Vacation Rental Dwelling Application, Click here.
To get a Vacation Rental Condominium Application, Click here.
For Airbnb Management in Florida, follow the link.
Hosted Rentals
Hosted Rentals are short term rentals in which the host remains in the residence. The Florida DBPR does not manage these types of rentals. Renting out one room or rooms other than the entire residence does not fall under the category of public lodging. It also does not require a license from the DBPR to operate. But hosted rentals might still be liable to other local, city or country requirements.
Taxes
When guests book short term vacation rentals in the State of Florida, they are liable to pay certain taxes. The overall package includes these taxes too. Airbnb provides the service of collecting and remitting sales tax on behalf of hosts all over Florida. Airbnb also collects and remits TDT (Tourism Development Taxes) on behalf of hosts in most Florida counties. According to the county law, Florida hosts are responsible for collecting and remitting county taxes in the counties where Airbnb does not provide this service. Hosts in these counties must get information on all other applicable tax regulations, along with those relating to city jurisdictions.
Homestead Exemption
In Florida, if an individual owns the property and makes it his or her permanent residence or the permanent residence of his or her dependent, the owner of the property might be qualified to acquire additional benefits. Along with that, they could also acquire a property tax exemption of up to $50,000. For more information and FAQ’s regarding the homestead exemption, you can visit the Florida Department of Revenue website.
Other Short Term Rental Regulations
As a responsible host, you need to abide by other contracts or regulations that bind you. These include leases, community rules, HOA rules, or other guidelines set up by tenant associations. Feel free to reach out to your landlord, housing authority, or community to find out more. To get more information about other regulations, you can also visit Florida’s official website or contact us.