Fort Lauderdale Short-Term Rental
Regulations & Permit Rules

• Every Florida vacation rental (a home, condo, or 1 to 4 unit dwelling rented more than three times a year for stays under 30 days, or advertised as regularly rented) must hold a Division of Hotels and Restaurants license from the Florida DBPR before operating.
• Fees: $50 application (new or change of owner), $10 Hospitality Education Program fee, $170 per year for a single unit or $180 for a group of 2 to 25 units. Collective licenses run $150 plus $10 per unit.
• This market is in DBPR District 2 (Fort Lauderdale), which renews annually on December 1.
• DBPR inspections are complaint-driven rather than routine. Units must meet NFPA 101 life safety requirements, including smoke detectors in every unit, and buildings of three stories or more must file a balcony inspection certificate every three years.
• Florida law (F.S. 509.032) preempts local governments from banning vacation rentals or regulating how often or how long they rent, unless the local rule was adopted on or before June 1, 2011. Registration, inspection, noise, parking, and trash rules remain local.

Source: Florida DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants / F.S. 509.032, 509.242

• Every vacation rental must obtain a city Certificate of Compliance before it is rented or advertised. The initial application is $880 per folio and includes the first inspection.
• Reinspections and inspector no-shows are $100 each; an agent transfer is $50.
• Renewal is due August 1 each year: $650 for non-owner-occupied rentals, $200 for homesteaded properties. Certificates expire September 30. A $100 late fee applies, and a late renewal is treated as a new $880 application.
• A city Business Tax Receipt ($157.50) and proof of Broward County Tourist Development Tax registration are part of the application.

Source: City of Fort Lauderdale Vacation Rentals / fortlauderdale.gov

• Fort Lauderdale regulates vacation rentals through the certificate program rather than zoning restrictions, so registered rentals are allowed across the city's residential neighborhoods and the barrier island.
• Condominium and HOA documents frequently impose 30-day or seasonal minimums on the beach and in Las Olas Isles; review them before purchasing.
• Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Pompano Beach, Hollywood, Wilton Manors, and Oakland Park are separate municipalities with their own programs. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea requires its own annual certificate and inspection and enforces a 7-night minimum stay.

• Florida state sales tax on transient rentals: 6%.
• Broward County discretionary sales surtax: 1%.
• Broward County Tourist Development Tax: 6%, collected by the county.
• Airbnb collects and remits the state tax and surtax on Florida bookings; confirm TDT remittance for each platform and keep the county account current, since proof of registration is part of the city application.

Source: FL DOR DR-15TDT and DR-15DSS

• Operating or advertising a vacation rental without a valid Certificate of Compliance: $1,000 per day.
• Operating on an expired certificate: $250 per day, escalating to $1,000 per day.
• Third violation: 180-day suspension. Fourth violation: 365-day suspension.
• Owners who filed a timely renewal are protected if the delay is the city's fault.

Source: City of Fort Lauderdale Ordinance C-26-39 (adopted September 15, 2026)

• Barrier island and canal-front properties typically require windstorm and flood insurance in addition to standard hazard coverage; budget these into underwriting.
• Standard homeowner's policies typically exclude commercial rental activity, so dedicated short-term rental insurance is recommended.