How to get a short-term rental permit in Sarasota, FL (2026)
Sarasota requires Vacation Rental Certificate of Registration — the fee is $500, renewed annual. Here's how to get and keep it.
Permit at a glance
| Permit required | Yes |
|---|---|
| Permit name | Vacation Rental Certificate of Registration |
| Permit fee | $500 |
| Renewal | Annual |
Step by step
- 1
Confirm your property is eligible
Confirm the property's zoning allows short-term rentals. The registration ordinance (Chapter 34.5) applies citywide to vacation rentals in residential zones: single-family districts RSF-E, RSF-1 through RSF-4, RSM-9 and RTD-9, and multifamily districts RMF-1 through RMF-7. Rules first applied (2021-2022) only within the Coastal Islands Overlay District (Lido Key, St. Armands Key and other barrier islands) and were extended to the mainland effective February 5, 2024. Owner-occupied rentals (owner present throughout the stay; homestead exemption is conclusive proof), condominiums, cooperatives, and rentals of 30 days or more are exempt from registration. Under zoning code Sec. II-304(b), residential 'household living' requires tenancy arranged for periods longer than one week — shorter-period tenancy is treated as transient lodging, not a residential use. Occupancy is capped at 2 persons per bedroom plus 2, with an absolute cap of 10 in single-family zones and 12 in multifamily zones (children under 6 excluded); grandfathered mainland rentals may house up to 14 through December 31, 2026, after which standard caps apply. On March 2, 2026 the City Commission unanimously approved extending the ordinance to the mixed-use Downtown Neighborhood (DTN) zone district (Gillespie Park and Park East neighborhoods), which had been inadvertently excluded from the 2024 citywide expansion; the implementing amendment does not yet appear in the codified Chapter 34.5 (codified through Ord. 26-5592, adopted April 20, 2026).
- 2
Apply for the Vacation Rental Certificate of Registration
Submit the Vacation Rental Certificate of Registration application to Sarasota and pay the $500 fee. Initial certificate of registration application fee is $500 (non-refundable), which includes a required safety inspection. Renewal application fee is $350; late filing fee $200; amended certificate $200; first re-inspection $100, second and third re-inspections $200 each (Sec. 34.5-11). A separate certificate is required for each vacation rental unit and certificates are non-transferable — a new $500 initial application is required on change of ownership. Applicants must also hold a Florida DBPR transient public lodging establishment license and pay the City of Sarasota local business tax.
- 3
Register for occupancy taxes
Register to collect and remit the applicable lodging/occupancy taxes for Sarasota. 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 Sarasota changes its short-term rental rules — plus renewal reminders before your permit expires.
Watch Sarasota for changes →Free monthly digest · same-day alerts from $5/mo · cancel anytime
Keep going
Verified July 21, 2026. Informational only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Permit requirements and fees change; confirm current requirements with Sarasota before applying.