How to get a short-term rental permit in Miami, FL (2026)
Miami requires Certificate of Use (CU) for Lodging + Business Tax Receipt (BTR) (City of Miami), plus Florida DBPR lodging license and Certificate of Occupancy, renewed annual. Here's how to get and keep it.
Permit at a glance
| Permit required | Yes |
|---|---|
| Permit name | Certificate of Use (CU) for Lodging + Business Tax Receipt (BTR) (City of Miami), plus Florida DBPR lodging license and Certificate of Occupancy |
| Renewal | Annual |
Step by step
- 1
Confirm your property is eligible
Confirm the property's zoning allows short-term rentals. Zoning is the central restriction. Under Miami 21, single-family homes and duplexes in T3 and T4-R transect zones are not eligible for short-term rental/lodging use (ban upheld in City of Miami v. Airbnb, Fla. 3d DCA 2018). STRs are permitted only where lodging is an allowed use — generally higher-intensity transect zones (e.g., non-R T4, T5, T6, CI-HD) — and the building must be converted to Apartment-Hotel or Condo-Hotel use with an HOA/COA-certified Operational Management Plan. If more than 25% of a building's units are transient lodging, the entire building must be reclassified to Florida Building Code R-1 (hotel) occupancy standards. Overlay zones and Special Area Projects may impose additional restrictions. 'Transient' means any unit rented more than three times a year for periods of less than 30 days.
- 2
Apply for the Certificate of Use (CU) for Lodging + Business Tax Receipt (BTR) (City of Miami), plus Florida DBPR lodging license and Certificate of Occupancy
Submit the Certificate of Use (CU) for Lodging + Business Tax Receipt (BTR) (City of Miami), plus Florida DBPR lodging license and Certificate of Occupancy application to Miami. The City of Miami does not publish a flat STR fee; CU costs (including fire and code inspection fees) are invoiced per the city fee schedule after application through MiamiBiz, and conversion also requires a building permit with fees that vary by project. The state DBPR vacation-rental/lodging license is $170 per full year for a single unit ($150 base + $10/unit + $10 HEP fee) plus a $50 application fee. Miami-Dade County's separate vacation-rental Certificate of Use ($139.44 + $115.26 inspection) applies to unincorporated areas, not inside city limits, though DERM (county) review is part of the city CU process.
- 3
Register for occupancy taxes
Register to collect and remit the applicable lodging/occupancy taxes for Miami. Some are collected automatically by the booking platform and some you may need to remit yourself.
- 4
Renew on schedule
The permit renews annual — set a reminder so it never lapses, since operating on an expired permit typically triggers fines.
STR rules change without warning.
Get an email the moment Miami changes its short-term rental rules — plus renewal reminders before your permit expires.
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Verified July 10, 2026. Informational only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Permit requirements and fees change; confirm current requirements with Miami before applying.