Fort Lauderdale, Florida Short Term Rental Regulations

City Code of Ordinances

Short-term rentals are regulated in the city of Fort Lauderdale. Vacation Rental shall mean any unit or group of units in a condominium or cooperative or any individually or collectively owned single-family, two-family, three-family, or four-family house or dwelling unit that is rented to Transient Occupants more than three (3) times in a calendar year for periods of less than thirty (30) days or one (1) calendar month, whichever is less, or which is advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented to Transient Occupants, and also a transient public lodging establishment as defined in Florida Statutes (F.S. 509.242) but that is not a timeshare project. Fort Lauderdale Zoning Code regulates land use in Fort Lauderdale. You should consult this to see if your listing is consistent with current zoning requirements or use definitions. The maximum number of transient occupants authorized to stay overnight at any vacation rental shall be limited to two (2) persons per sleeping room. The number of sleeping rooms shall be confined by on-site inspection by a representative of the City. The maximum number of persons allowed to gather at or occupy a vacation rental shall not exceed one and one-half times the maximum number of occupants authorized to stay overnight at that site, as shown on the certificate of compliance. In no event shall a gathering exceed twenty (20) persons. (Please take note this shall not apply to owner-occupied vacation rentals when the property owner is physically present on the site during the gathering.)

Business License Requirements

Fort Lauderdale requires all owners or operators of businesses to apply for and receive a license: 

• Apply for all State and County licenses. More information can be found here: State and County Licenses 
• Provide proof of property ownership at the Broward County Property Appraiser. If a business entity owns the property, please provide ownership information found on Sunbiz.
• Complete the vacation rental application through LauderBuild 

 Owners must pay a registration fee of $350 for up to 4 rental units under the same roof. While the renewal registration fee is $160 for non-owner occupied and $80 for owner-occupied short-term rentals. More information can be found in the Fort Lauderdale Vacation Rental Program. 

Building and Housing Standards

Fort Lauderdale has a set of rules for short-term rentals that need to be abided by owners. Fort Lauderdale properties must undergo a home inspection to ensure consistency with these rules. In preparation for an inspection, you can review the Fort Lauderdale Vacation Rental Inspection Checklist and the  Vacation Rental Inspection Guide.

Tourist and Local Taxes

Homes in Florida operating as short-term rentals have to pay a 6% Broward County Tourist Development Tax, 6% Florida Transient Tax, and 0.5-1.5% Florida Discretionary Sales Surtax.  The City of Fort Lauderdale Business Tax Application will also be created once the Vacation Rental Application has been approved. Please review the city's summary of the steps needed to start a Vacation Rental Registration. 

Other Rules

Property owners must provide a copy of the lease agreement furnished to their guests. Refer to the Lease Agreement Addendum, which contains the required information. A copy of the actual lease is still required. Owners must include a sketch or photograph of the off-street parking spaces with the following statement, "No on-street parking permitted." A property manager must be available around the clock to address any complaints. To find out more, visit Fort Lauderdale’s official website.