Short answer
Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) licenses vacation rentals in two classes, condo and dwelling, and three forms: a single license held by the owner, a group license for units in one complex, and a collective license a manager holds for up to 75 homes at separate addresses. An entire home or condo needs a license if it's rented more than three times in a calendar year for short stays, or advertised as regularly rented.
Who needs a license
DBPR's rule of thumb: if you rent an entire unit more than three times in a calendar year for short stays, or advertise it as regularly rented, it's a vacation rental and needs a license from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants. Renting out a single room, rather than the whole unit, isn't classified as public lodging by the state, though a city or county can still have rules for it. (DBPR's vacation rental guide)
Condo or dwelling
| Class | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Vacation rental, condominium | A unit or group of units in a condominium or cooperative. |
| Vacation rental, dwelling | A single-family house or townhouse, or units in a duplex, triplex, quadruplex or other dwelling with four or fewer units. |
In September 2026, 71% of Florida's new vacation rental licenses were dwellings and 29% were condos.
Single, group or collective
| Form | Who holds it | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Single | The owner, a person or a company, not a licensed agent. | One house or townhouse, or the units in one building owned and operated by the same owner. |
| Group | A licensed agent, usually a management company. | All the units it rents in one building or one complex. |
| Collective | A licensed agent representing the owners. | Houses or units at separate addresses: up to 75 units per license, in counties within one DBPR district. |
(DBPR; Florida Administrative Code rule 61C-1.002)
For a manager, the form is the tell. A single license in the owner's name is the usual sign the owner applied on their own. Group and collective licenses belong to managers. In September 2026, 937 of 1,052 new licenses (89%) were single licenses. The monthly license report breaks that down by county.
Fees and renewal
- New license: a $50 application fee, a $10 Hospitality Education Program fee, and a full-year or half-year license fee.
- Single and group licenses: the full-year fee runs from $170 for one unit up to $350 for 501 or more units.
- Collective licenses: $150 plus $10 per rental unit for a full year.
- Renewal: once a year, on a date set by the DBPR district the rental is in. District 1 (Miami-Dade and Monroe), for example, renews October 1; District 3 (the Tampa area) renews February 1.
Fees as listed in DBPR's vacation rental guide as of October 2026. Look up your district there before you count on a renewal date.
Local rules on top of the state license
The state license is the floor. Many Florida cities and counties add their own registration or certificate for short-term rentals; Panama City Beach and Fort Lauderdale are two well-known examples. Rentals also owe Florida sales tax, and most counties add a tourist development tax, so the owner or their manager registers with the Florida Department of Revenue and, in some counties, with the county tax collector. Check the rules for each address before you take a home on.
What a new license tells a manager
Every new vacation rental license names the owner, the rental's address, whether it's a house or a condo, and whether it's a single or a manager's license, plus the owner's mailing address when it's different from the rental. Put together, that's a short list of owners who are about to start hosting, most of whom haven't picked a manager yet. How to reach them, or get your county's new licenses every weekday from FiledToday.
Questions
Do I need a Florida vacation rental license to rent my condo on Airbnb?
If you rent the entire unit more than three times in a calendar year for short stays, or advertise it as regularly rented, DBPR treats it as a vacation rental that needs a license. Your city, county and condo association may have their own rules too.
What is a collective vacation rental license in Florida?
A license issued to a licensed agent, usually a management company, that covers houses or units at separate addresses: up to 75 units per license, in counties within one DBPR district.
How much does a Florida vacation rental license cost?
A new license is a $50 application fee plus a $10 education fee plus the license fee: $170 a year for a single unit, up to $350 for large group licenses, or $150 plus $10 per unit for a collective license. Check DBPR for current fees.
What's the difference between a condo and a dwelling license?
A condo license covers units in a condominium or cooperative. A dwelling license covers a house, townhouse, or a building with four or fewer units.
How many new vacation rental licenses does Florida issue?
About 1,000 a month since July 1, 2026. See the monthly license report.
A plain-English summary for property managers, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; check with the agency named before you rely on a detail.