LicensedRental

Brevard County, Florida

Indian Harbour Beach, FL vacation rental requirements

Indian Harbour Beach requires vacation rentals to register for a one-year certificate of compliance and pass a fire safety inspection every year. Rentals in R-3 zoning skip registration but still need the inspection. Every rental needs a landline.

Checked against official sources November 2, 2026
City permit
Certificate of compliance
Valid one year. Rentals in R-3 zoning don’t register.Source
Inspection
Fire safety, every year
Required in every zoning district, including R-3.Source
Max occupancy
2 per bedroom + 2
The city code caps it at 12; the city’s October 2026 fire checklist says 8. Ask the city which applies.Source
Landline
Required
One landline that can call 911 in the main living area, registered with Alert Brevard and City of Melbourne utilities.Source
Fees
$865.50 the first year, $615.50 after
$750 to register, $500 to renew, plus a $115.50 inspection every year.Source

Florida law stops cities that had no vacation rental rules in 2011 from limiting where short-term rentals go, so Indian Harbour Beach regulates how they operate rather than where.

Your licensing checklist

In order: the state, the county, then the town.

State of Florida

  1. Get the DBPR vacation rental license

    Apply to the Division of Hotels and Restaurants as a vacation rental condo or vacation rental dwelling. There is no state inspection before the license is issued, but DBPR can inspect after a complaint. Renew it every year.Source

    DBPR online services →

  2. Register for Florida sales tax

    Register with the Florida Department of Revenue to collect the 6% state tax and the county surtax on bookings you take directly. Booking platforms collect it for stays booked through them.Source

    Florida Department of Revenue →

  3. Meet the state fire safety rule

    Florida Administrative Code 69A-43.018 asks rental homes for smoke alarms powered by the house wiring plus one in every bedroom, NFPA 10 extinguishers, one hour of battery emergency lighting to the main exit, a posted floor diagram showing the primary and secondary exits, and fire safety information for guests.Source

  4. Balcony inspection for taller buildings

    Buildings three or more stories tall need a balcony inspection by a qualified inspector every three years.Source

  5. Then the county and town

    Most rules that affect day-to-day operation, like registration, inspections, occupancy, and parking, are set by the county and the town. Pick your town for its full checklist.

Brevard County, Florida

  1. Open a tourist development tax account

    Register with the Brevard County Clerk of Court and file a return every month, by the 20th of the following month. Filing electronically and on time earns a small collection allowance.Source

    Clerk of Court: tourist tax →

  2. Ask about a county business tax receipt

    The Brevard County Tax Collector issues business tax receipts for most businesses. Ask whether your rental needs one; towns usually require their own as well.Source

    Tax Collector: business tax receipts →

  3. Outside a town? Check county zoning first

    In unincorporated Brevard, short-term rentals count as "resort dwellings" (Sec. 62-1102) and are allowed only in certain zoning districts. Call county Zoning before you list.Source

  4. Register with your town

    Each town sets its own registration, inspection, occupancy, and parking rules. Pick your town for its checklist.

City of Indian Harbour Beach

  1. Get your state and county registrations

    Your DBPR vacation rental license, Florida Department of Revenue sales tax registration, and Brevard tourist tax account. Do these first; the application asks for all of them.Source

  2. Set up the landline

    Install at least one landline that can call 911 in the main living area, and register the number with Alert Brevard (county emergency alerts) and City of Melbourne utilities (water alerts). The application asks for proof of all three.Source

  3. Prepare the drawings and paperwork

    An exterior sketch of the property showing the off-street parking spaces, marked "No On-street Parking Permitted"; a sketch of each floor with evacuation routes from every room; proof of ownership from the Property Appraiser (or Sunbiz for an LLC); a copy of your driver’s license or passport; and the rental rules you give guests, which can include the city’s lease addendum.Source

  4. Submit the application

    Fill out the registration application and the affidavit of compliance, which the owner and the responsible party each sign in front of a notary. Email everything with the fee to the City Clerk. If anything is missing, you get 15 days to send it.Source

    Application and affidavit (PDF) →

  5. Pass the fire inspection

    The Fire Marshal contacts you to schedule it, and inspects again every year. Use the city’s checklist, summarized below.Source

  6. Run it by the rules

    A responsible party available 24/7 who responds within an hour of a call from police, emergency crews, or the city. Keep a guest register the city can inspect, check the unit after every stay, and ask at check-in whether any guest is a registered sex offender. Every listing must match your certificate, especially the occupancy, and say "It is unlawful to allow for a sexual offender or sexual predator to occupy this residence."Source

Fees

About $865.50 the first year (registration plus inspection) and $615.50 a year after that (renewal plus inspection). The inspection fee covers one re-inspection.

Application and registration$750
Annual renewal$500
Safety inspection, first and every yearIncludes the first re-inspection.$115.50
No-show or later re-inspection$99
Late renewalIf it isn’t paid by the expiration date, it’s treated as a new $750 application with inspections.$100
Change of ownership$750
Change to bedrooms or parking$250
Change of responsible party, permanent$100
Change of responsible party, temporaryUp to 30 days in any 12 months.$25 each time
Operating without registrationOn top of penalties from the special magistrate.$125

Fees are non-refundable. Source

Inspection checklist

What the inspector looks for, from City of Indian Harbour Beach’s published checklist.

  • Smoke alarmsIn each bedroom and the hallways leading to them; hardwired with battery backup, installed by a certified electrician. At least one bedroom needs a strobe-light smoke alarm. Interconnected in buildings 4 stories or taller.Source
  • CO alarmsIn any area with a gas appliance, which must vent outside.Source
  • Emergency lightingAbove or near the main exit; hardwired with battery backup, at least one hour. Installed by a certified electrician.Source
  • Fire extinguisherAt least 2A:10B:C, mounted, tagged by a qualified company every year. The city code asks for one on each floor.Source
  • Evacuation mapsAt least 8.5 by 11 inches, near the main exit and next to the inside of each bedroom door, showing both exits.Source
  • Escape openingsBedroom escape windows at least 5.7 sq ft, 20 in wide, 24 in high, sill 44 in or lower, opening without tools.Source
  • LocksThumb-turn deadbolts, one lock per door, no extra locks on windows or sliders.Source
  • House numbersAt least 4 inches tall, contrasting, visible from the road.Source
  • Pools and canalsDoor alarms on every exit to the water, a pool hook and life ring at a pool, and gates that lock and latch. Pools must meet the state pool safety act.Source
  • GrillsAt least 10 feet from the building or overhead cover. No propane or charcoal grills on balconies or patios in multifamily buildings.Source
  • StorageNo flammable liquids or gas in the unit or garage, and nothing stored in mechanical rooms.Source
  • ElectricalGFCI outlets within 6 feet of water, a labeled panel, and no extension cords as wiring. Power strips with a built-in breaker are fine.Source
  • Emergency informationPosted where guests see it: 911, the address and unit, owner or agent’s contact, nearest hospital, maximum occupancy and vehicles.Source

House rules for guests

Parking
Paved spaces on the property only
No street, sidewalk, right-of-way, common area, or grass parking. Boats, trailers, and RVs behind the front of the house.Source
Responsible party
Available 24/7
Responds within an hour of a call from police, emergency crews, or the city.Source
Noise
Quiet 10 p.m. – 7 a.m.
No amplified sound audible off the property.Source
Sea turtle lighting
May 1 – October 31
East of A1A, outdoor lights shielded so they can’t be seen from the beach, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.Source
Trash
Tuesday and Friday, recycling Wednesday
Source

Sources

A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.