Fort Lauderdale Airbnb Market Data
& Investment Analysis

Fort Lauderdale is the yachting capital of the world and Broward County's beach and cruise hub, with seven miles of beach, Port Everglades, and a canal network that earns it the Venice of America nickname. Its short-term rental market holds 12,128 active entire-home listings across 28 neighborhoods that Surge tracks. Over the twelve months ending September 2026, the average listing earned $53,608 in gross revenue at a $263 average nightly rate and 62% occupancy, for revenue per available night of $165. Revenue per listing is up 2.9% year over year.

Fort Lauderdale suits investors targeting premium coastal ADR with a real winter season and business travel to smooth the shoulder months. The main things to underwrite are the city's registration cost and inspection process, windstorm and flood insurance, which can be the largest expense after the mortgage, condo association rental minimums, and the fact that neighboring cities each run their own programs.

Winter is the high season: snowbirds, spring break, and the escape-the-cold market fill January through March, while late summer and early fall, the peak of hurricane season, are the slowest months. The average Fort Lauderdale listing earned $7,068 in March against $2,779 in September, a 2.5x swing between the best and worst month. Waterfront homes with dockage in Las Olas Isles, Rio Vista, and Harbor Beach and walk-to-beach condos hold the steadiest occupancy because boaters, cruise passengers, and beach travelers arrive in every season.

The barrier island (Fort Lauderdale Beach, Harbor Beach, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea) commands the highest nightly rates; the canal neighborhoods just inland (Las Olas Isles, Rio Vista, Victoria Park) pair waterfront premiums with year-round demand; and the mainland neighborhoods west of US-1 and the suburbs (Wilton Manors, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach, Hollywood, Dania Beach) offer lower entry prices with their own city rules to check.

By gross revenue the strongest neighborhoods are Nurmi Isles, Weston, and Fort Lauderdale Beach, averaging $130,759, $86,824, and $73,949 a year. Nightly rates span $136 in North Fort Lauderdale to $821 in Nurmi Isles. On the Surge Score, which also weighs demand consistency and regulatory risk, Coral Hills, Deerfield Beach, and Rock Island rank highest. For value, Deerfield Beach, Dania, and Melrose Park pair below-median nightly rates with above-median occupancy. The full ranking is on the Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods page.

Fort Lauderdale allows short-term rentals citywide but requires a city Vacation Rental Certificate of Compliance ($880 initial application with inspection, $650 or $200 annual renewal), a city Business Tax Receipt, and a Florida DBPR license. Since September 2026 operating or advertising without a certificate carries a $1,000 per day penalty, and the combined lodging tax is 13% (6% state, 1% Broward surtax, 6% Broward Tourist Development Tax). Read the full Fort Lauderdale STR regulations, including every suburb's rules and the tax filing requirements.

Revenue scales with size. A one-bedroom in Fort Lauderdale averages $32,502 a year at $150 a night, while a four-bedroom averages $88,429 at $483. Larger homes earn more per booking but usually run lower occupancy, so compare revenue per available night, not just nightly rate, when you choose a floor plan. Among tracked amenities, listings with a indoor fireplace earned about 77% more than the Fort Lauderdale baseline; the Insights tab ranks every amenity by revenue, rate, and occupancy lift.

Model a specific purchase with the Fort Lauderdale investment analysis and calculator. Data on this page comes from Surge market data on entire-home listings and was last refreshed 2026-10-18.