# Short-term rental rules in Fort Lauderdale, FL - Status: **HEAVILY REGULATED** - Last verified: 2026-07-18 (every legal claim checked against the official sources listed below) - Canonical page: https://strwatch.ai/fort-lauderdale-fl/ ## Summary Fort Lauderdale permits whole-home and hosted short-term rentals (stays of 30 days or less) but subjects every listing to a stacked state-county-city compliance regime under Ordinance C-16-25 (Code of Ordinances Ch. 15, Art. X), reflecting the amendment the City Commission approved September 19, 2023. Hosts must first get a Florida DBPR vacation rental license ($170/yr + $50 application + $10 Hospitality Education Program fee; waived only for a homestead owner renting a single room), a Broward County Local Business Tax Receipt, and Broward County Tourist Development Tax registration before applying to the city. City registration costs $880 for a new listing (up to 4 units under one folio, includes the first inspection) and $650/year to renew (non-owner-occupied) or $200/year (owner-occupied/homestead-exempt), due by August 1 each year with certificates expiring September 30 (a $100 late fee applies to a missed deadline, and a separate $100 fee applies to each reinspection or no-show). Inspection caps occupancy at 2 persons per legal bedroom and requires an in-unit noise-monitoring device retaining 180 days of data. Civil penalties run $250 (uncontested) to $325 (contested) per violation, and operating during a suspension can cost $5,000-$15,000 per day. Guests pay roughly 13% in combined tax (6% state sales tax + 1% Broward discretionary surtax + 6% Broward Tourist Development Tax) on top of the nightly rate. Florida's preemption statute, Fla. Stat. Section 509.032(7)(b), bars cities from banning rentals or capping rental frequency/duration unless the local law predates June 1, 2011, so Fort Lauderdale does not limit how many nights per year a property may be rented -- it regulates registration, safety, and taxes instead. ## At a glance - Unhosted whole-home rental: Conditional - Hosted rental (host present): Conditional - Primary residence required: No - Guest cap: none verified - Rules apply to stays under: 30 days Notes: Both whole-home (non-owner-occupied) and hosted (owner-occupied room) rentals are allowed subject to City Vacation Rental Registration; owner-occupied/homestead listings pay a reduced city renewal fee ($200 vs. $650/year) and are exempt from the state DBPR license if only a room is rented (a notarized owner-occupied statement is required for that exemption). Accessory dwelling units in zoning districts RS-8 and RD-15 may not be used as vacation rentals per Unified Land Development Regulations Section 47-19.2.A.7. Occupancy is capped at 2 persons per legal bedroom (not a flat guest count) and verified at inspection. The city cannot and does not cap nights-per-year or minimum stay below what state law allows, because Fla. Stat. Section 509.032(7)(b) preempts local duration/frequency regulation absent a pre-June-1-2011 ordinance; nothing in the sources reviewed this session establishes that Fort Lauderdale's vacation rental ordinance predates that cutoff, so no grandfathered restriction is assumed here. ## Requirements ### DBPR Vacation Rental License (State of Florida) (license) - Authority: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants - Cost: $170/year license fee (single unit) + $50 one-time/change-of-ownership application fee + $10 Hospitality Education Program fee - Renewal: Annual; renewal date varies by license district - Official source: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/hotels-restaurants/licensing/lodging-fees/ - Notes: Multi-unit license fees scale from $180 (2-25 units) up to $350 (501+ units) per the same fee schedule. Exempt if the property is a homestead, owner-occupied, and only a room is being rented (notarized DBPR exemption statement required). ### Broward County Local Business Tax Receipt (license) - Authority: Broward County Records, Taxes and Treasury Division, Tax Collector - Cost: not verified - Renewal: Annual, valid October 1 - September 30; renewal period July 1 - September 30 - Official source: https://www.broward.org/RecordsTaxesTreasury/taxcollector/Pages/LocalBusinessTaxes.aspx - Notes: Required before the City will process a Vacation Rental Registration application. Fee varies by business classification per the county's published fee schedule; the exact short-term-rental classification fee was not independently confirmed this session (see needs_review). ### Broward County Tourist Development Tax Registration (registration) - Authority: Broward County Records, Taxes and Treasury Division, Tourist Development Tax Section - Cost: not verified - Renewal: Ongoing (filing frequency assigned as monthly/quarterly/semi-annual/annual) - Official source: https://www.broward.org/RecordsTaxesTreasury/TaxesFees/Pages/TouristDevelopmentTaxes.aspx - Notes: Registers the owner to collect and remit the 6% county Tourist Development Tax; no registration fee is listed, only the ongoing tax obligation. ### City of Fort Lauderdale Vacation Rental Registration (new/initial) (registration) - Authority: City of Fort Lauderdale, Community Enhancement and Compliance Division - Cost: $880/year (up to 4 units under one folio; includes the first inspection) - Renewal: Annual - see separate renewal requirement - Official source: https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Government/Departments/Community-Services/Community-Enhancement-and-Compliance/Administrative-Services/Vacation-Rental-Program/Vacation-Rental-Registration - Notes: Governed by Ordinance No. C-16-25 (Code of Ordinances Ch. 15, Art. X - Vacation Rentals; fee schedule set by Vacation Rental Fee Resolution 17-81). Requires prior state and county licenses, proof of ownership, a sample lease, and a marked/photographed off-street parking plan. Applies to any single-family, two-family, three-family, or four-family dwelling unit or condo advertised for 30 days or less to transient occupants (not timeshares). Transfer of rental agent carries a separate $50 fee. ### City of Fort Lauderdale Vacation Rental Registration Renewal (registration) - Authority: City of Fort Lauderdale, Community Enhancement and Compliance Division - Cost: $650/year (non-owner-occupied) or $200/year (owner-occupied/homestead-exempted) - Renewal: Annual; renewal deadline August 1, certificate expires September 30 - Official source: https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Government/Departments/Community-Services/Community-Enhancement-and-Compliance/Administrative-Services/Vacation-Rental-Program/Vacation-Rental-Renewal - Notes: A $100 late fee applies to any renewal not submitted/complete by the deadline. Applications not fully submitted and paid by September 30 are processed as new applications ($880 fee) and require a new inspection, even for owner-occupied properties. Accounts unrenewed for 6 months after expiration are closed. ### Vacation Rental Safety Inspection (inspection) - Authority: City of Fort Lauderdale Code Enforcement - Cost: Included in the $880 initial registration fee (first inspection); $100 for each subsequent safety inspection, reinspection, or no-show - Renewal: Required at initial registration and generally at renewal for non-owner-occupied properties (owner-occupied renewals filed before the deadline may not require reinspection) - Official source: https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Government/Departments/Community-Services/Community-Enhancement-and-Compliance/Administrative-Services/Vacation-Rental-Program/Vacation-Rental-Registration - Notes: Verifies maximum occupancy (2 persons per legal bedroom) and minimum housing/life-safety standards. Failed inspections get a reinspection within 10 days; a Certificate of Compliance issues within 3 business days of passing. ### City of Fort Lauderdale Business Tax Receipt (Local Business Tax) (license) - Authority: City of Fort Lauderdale - Cost: $157.50/year (renewal) - Renewal: Annual; expires September 30 - Official source: https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Government/Departments/Community-Services/Community-Enhancement-and-Compliance/Administrative-Services/Vacation-Rental-Program/Vacation-Rental-Renewal - Notes: Generated and invoiced once the Vacation Rental Application is approved; billed separately from the vacation rental registration fee. Not required to be resubmitted at renewal unless business information changed. ### In-Unit Noise Level Detection Device (other) - Authority: City of Fort Lauderdale (Ordinance C-16-25, as amended September 19, 2023) - Cost: not verified - Renewal: N/A (standing equipment requirement) - Official source: https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Government/Departments/Community-Services/Community-Enhancement-and-Compliance/Administrative-Services/Vacation-Rental-Program - Notes: Each vacation rental must be equipped with a device that alerts the owner/responsible party and occupants to noise levels; data must be retained 180 days and made available to the City on request. Device cost not published by the City. ## Taxes - **Florida State Transient Rental Sales Tax**: 6% — applies to Rental charges for living/sleeping accommodations rented for 6 months or less; platform collects: not verified. Source: https://floridarevenue.com/Forms_library/current/brochure/gt800034.pdf - **Broward County Discretionary Sales Surtax**: 1% — applies to Same base as the state transient rental sales tax (delivered/occurring in Broward County); not subject to the $5,000 cap that applies to tangible personal property; platform collects: not verified. Source: https://floridarevenue.com/Forms_library/current/dr15dss_26.pdf - **Broward County Tourist Development Tax (TDT)**: 6% — applies to Living quarters/accommodations (hotel, apartment, single-family home, condo, etc.) rented for 6 months or less; platform collects: not verified. Source: https://www.broward.org/RecordsTaxesTreasury/TaxesFees/Pages/TouristDevelopmentTaxes.aspx ## Enforcement - Penalties: $250 civil penalty per uncontested vacation-rental ordinance violation and $325 per contested violation (raised from $200/$275 by the City Commission's ordinance amendment approved September 19, 2023). Operating a vacation rental while its Certificate of Compliance is suspended carries penalties up to $5,000/day for repeat violations, and up to $15,000/day if a special magistrate finds the violation irreparable or irreversible; the same 2023 amendment removed a prior 12-month cap on suspension length. Source: City of Fort Lauderdale Vacation Rental Program page (fortlauderdale.gov). - Platform liability: Not established from the sources reviewed this session. The City's enforcement page directs neighbors with noise/party complaints to Airbnb's and Vrbo's own neighborhood-support channels but does not state a direct statutory or civil liability provision for hosting platforms; the full text of Ordinance C-16-25 was not machine-readable this session, so a platform-liability clause cannot be ruled out (see needs_review). - Notes: Vacation rental complaints go to a 24/7 hotline (1-800-685-7453) or VRInfo@fortlauderdale.gov; the City also publishes quarterly, district-level lists of registered/certified vacation rentals and open enforcement cases by HOA on its Registration Enforcement page. ## Not yet verified (we say so instead of guessing) - Broward County Local Business Tax Receipt fee for the short-term-rental/vacation-rental business classification was not independently confirmed against the county's official fee schedule this session; recorded as null (cost varies by classification per broward.org). - Whether hosting platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo, etc.) automatically collect and remit the Florida 6% state sales tax, the 1% Broward discretionary surtax, and/or the 6% Broward Tourist Development Tax on behalf of Fort Lauderdale hosts could not be confirmed against an official source this session. Florida's marketplace-facilitator statute, Fla. Stat. Section 212.05965, explicitly defines 'marketplace' around tangible personal property and excludes persons who solely provide travel-agency/lodging-booking services, so it does not clearly obligate platforms to collect transient rental taxes; collectedByPlatform is recorded as null for all three tax entries pending direct confirmation (e.g., from Airbnb's or Broward County's own tax-remittance agreements). - The full codified text of Ordinance C-16-25 / Code of Ordinances Chapter 15, Article X could not be parsed this session (the city's own ordinance PDF returned non-extractable binary text, and library.municode.com / codelibrary.amlegal.com bot-walled automated access). All ordinance-derived facts here come from the City's official program summary pages, which describe themselves as reflecting the ordinance but are not the primary codified text. - Whether hosting platforms bear any direct civil or statutory liability under the Fort Lauderdale vacation rental ordinance (as opposed to the property owner/responsible party) was not found stated in the city materials reviewed and could not be verified. - The original adoption date of Fort Lauderdale's vacation rental registration requirement (as distinct from the current codification cited as 'Ordinance No. C-16-25') was not confirmed. This matters because Fla. Stat. Section 509.032(7)(b) only allows local duration/frequency regulation for ordinances adopted on or before June 1, 2011; nothing fetched this session establishes whether Fort Lauderdale's program predates that cutoff, so no such grandfathered authority is assumed or claimed in this profile (consistent with the fact that no night-cap/frequency limit was found in city materials). ## Sources - City of Fort Lauderdale - Vacation Rental Program (background, ordinance C-16-25, 2023 amendment summary) (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Government/Departments/Community-Services/Community-Enhancement-and-Compliance/Administrative-Services/Vacation-Rental-Program - City of Fort Lauderdale - Vacation Rental Registration (property registration process and fee schedule) (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Government/Departments/Community-Services/Community-Enhancement-and-Compliance/Administrative-Services/Vacation-Rental-Program/Vacation-Rental-Registration - City of Fort Lauderdale - Vacation Rental Renewal (renewal fees, deadlines, business tax receipt fee) (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Government/Departments/Community-Services/Community-Enhancement-and-Compliance/Administrative-Services/Vacation-Rental-Program/Vacation-Rental-Renewal - City of Fort Lauderdale - Registration Enforcement (complaint process, published enforcement reports) (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Government/Departments/Community-Services/Community-Enhancement-and-Compliance/Administrative-Services/Vacation-Rental-Program/Registration-Enforcement - Ordinance No. C-16-25 (Vacation Rental Registration Program) - PDF (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/development-services/documents/vacation-rental-ordinance-c1625.pdf - Broward County - Tourist Development Taxes (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://www.broward.org/RecordsTaxesTreasury/TaxesFees/Pages/TouristDevelopmentTaxes.aspx - Broward County Tax Collector - Local Business Taxes (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://www.broward.org/RecordsTaxesTreasury/taxcollector/Pages/LocalBusinessTaxes.aspx - Florida DBPR - Hotels and Restaurants Lodging Fees (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/hotels-restaurants/licensing/lodging-fees/ - Florida DBPR - Guide to Vacation Rentals and Timeshare Projects (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/hotels-restaurants/licensing/vrtsp-guide/ - Fla. Stat. Section 509.032 - Duties of the division; local law inspections (preemption of vacation rental duration/frequency regulation) (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0509/Sections/0509.032.html - Fla. Stat. Section 212.05965 - Taxation of marketplace sales (definition of marketplace provider, excludes lodging/travel accommodations) (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0212/Sections/0212.05965.html - Florida Department of Revenue - GT-800034, Sales and Use Tax on Rental of Living or Sleeping Accommodations (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://floridarevenue.com/Forms_library/current/brochure/gt800034.pdf - Florida Department of Revenue - DR-15DSS, Discretionary Sales Surtax Information for 2026 (Broward County rate) (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://floridarevenue.com/Forms_library/current/dr15dss_26.pdf - Florida Department of Revenue - Discretionary Sales Surtax (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/taxesfees/Pages/discretionary.aspx - Florida Department of Revenue - Florida Sales and Use Tax (state rate overview) (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/taxesfees/Pages/sales_tax.aspx - Florida Department of Revenue - TIP 21A01-03, New Registration Requirement for Marketplace Providers and Sellers (official, accessed 2026-07-18): https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/tips/Documents/TIP_21A01-03.pdf --- Educational information, not legal advice. Published by STRWatch (Laniakea Technologies LLC).