Florida · Short-Term Rental Compliance

Orlando Short-Term Rental Permit Guide

The City of Orlando allows STRs only as "home shares" (owner-occupied, host present, max half the bedrooms rented) inside city limits. Whole-home, non-owner-occupied STRs are prohibited city-wide except in narrow Tourist Commercial overlay districts near attractions. Hosts must register with the city, hold a Florida DBPR license, and register with Orange County for Tourist Development Tax.

Permit

Home Share Registration (city) + Florida DBPR Vacation Rental License

Annual fee

$275

Occupancy tax

13.5%

Fine range

$500–$1,000 per day

⚠ This summary is preliminary — we’re still verifying it against the current Orlando ordinance. Treat every line as a starting point and confirm with the city before filing or accepting bookings.

Informational only — not legal advice. Our information can be wrong or out of date. Always confirm with Orlando directly before applying, paying, or accepting bookings. We do not file applications or returns on your behalf.

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What the city requires

Requirements checklist

1
Home Share Registration
~$275/yr. Owner-occupied ONLY — host must reside in the dwelling. Maximum of 50% of bedrooms may be rented at any time. Whole-home rentals are prohibited.
2
Florida DBPR Vacation Rental License
State-issued. $200/yr single-unit. Required even for the home-share configuration.
3
Combined occupancy tax
6% FL state sales + 0.5% Orange County discretionary + 6% Orange County Tourist Development = ~13.5% total. Airbnb collects state + county tourist; direct bookings require monthly returns.
4
Tourist Commercial zoning exception
Whole-home STRs ARE allowed in narrow Tourist Commercial (T-C) zoning along International Drive, near Universal, and select Disney-area corridors. Most residential Orlando does not qualify.
5
Orange County (unincorporated)
Properties OUTSIDE city limits but inside Orange County (Lake Buena Vista, Hunters Creek, etc.) follow different county rules — confirm jurisdiction before assuming city rules apply.

Orlando treats home-share registration as binary: comply or face shutdown. Code Enforcement uses Airbnb listing scrapes to identify whole-home rentals in residential zones. The Tourist Commercial zoning carve-out is narrow — verify with the city zoning office before banking on it.

Official filing portal: https://www.orlando.gov/Building-Development/Permits-Inspections/Home-Share

Other jurisdictions

Orlando Short-Term Rental Permit Guide

Requirements checklist

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