Flagler County, Florida
Palm Coast, FL vacation rental requirements
Since March 2025, Palm Coast requires a city registration for every short-term rental home: $450 a year with an annual inspection, a cap of 10 guests, driveway-only parking, and a responsible party who can arrive within two hours.
Checked against official sources November 3, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
Your licensing checklist
In order: the state, the county, then the town.
State of Florida
Get the DBPR vacation rental license
Apply online to the Division of Hotels and Restaurants as a Vacation Rental – Condominium or Vacation Rental – Dwelling, listing every unit address. Approval usually takes one to two business days and the license is emailed. There is no inspection before it’s issued, but DBPR can inspect afterward. Post the license (or a copy) in the unit.Source
Renew every year by your district’s date
Licenses renew on a set date for each DBPR district. Brevard and Volusia (District 4) renew April 1, with the half-year rate from October 1. Flagler and the rest of District 5 renew June 1, with the half-year rate from December 1. If you won’t rent until after the next renewal date, waiting to apply can save paying twice.Source
Register for Florida sales tax if you collect rent yourself
Whoever receives the rent collects and pays the tax. Airbnb and VRBO collect Florida’s 6% tax and the county surtax on bookings made through them, so if every booking goes through them you don’t need your own sales tax account. If you take direct bookings, or a property manager collects rent for you, you or the manager register with the Department of Revenue and file. You stay responsible if a platform or manager doesn’t pay it.Source
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
Balcony inspection for taller buildings
Buildings three or more stories tall must file a Certificate of Balcony Inspection with DBPR every three years. Condo units are exempt when the balconies and stairs are common elements and you give DBPR proof.Source
Keep up the state operating rules
Keep the unit clean, safe, and free of pests; change sheets and pillowcases between guests or weekly; use cribs that meet federal safety standards; and sanitize dishes between guests or post DBPR’s exception notice.Source
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.
Flagler County, Florida
Open a tourist tax account, even if you only use Airbnb or Vrbo
Flagler collects its own 5% tourist development tax, and the Tax Collector says the platforms do not send it in. Create an account on Tourist Express and file a return every month, by the 20th, including months with no rentals. You’ll need a Florida sales tax number from the Department of Revenue to set it up.Source
Get a county business tax receipt
The Tax Collector requires a local business tax receipt for every rental property, and county Ordinance 2018-10 requires the receipt number in every advertisement, including your Airbnb and Vrbo listings. Cities add their own receipt on top.Source
Know which program covers you
Palm Coast and Flagler Beach run their own rental programs. Outside city limits and east of U.S. 1 (the Hammock and the barrier island), the county’s short-term vacation rental certificate applies. Bunnell, Beverly Beach, and Marineland have no rental program in their codes.
Then your town
Pick your town for its full checklist.
City of Palm Coast
Check whether you’re exempt
The city rules cover single-family, two-family, and multi-family homes rented more than three times a year for less than 30 days. They don’t apply to units in a multi-family building governed by a condo, property owners, or homeowners association, or with on-site management.Source
Get the state license, tax accounts, and business tax receipts
Before you apply you need the DBPR license, a Florida Department of Revenue certificate of registration, a Flagler County tourist tax account, and business tax receipts from both Flagler County and the City of Palm Coast.Source
Meet the life safety standards
Smoke and CO alarms per the Florida Building Code, a 2A:10B:C extinguisher on each floor, battery emergency lighting that lasts at least 90 minutes, sleeping rooms that meet the building code, and a pool, spa, or hot tub that meets the code.Source
Write a lease with the required terms
Names and ages of all guests; license tags for every vehicle (no more than your on-site spaces); maximum occupancy and vehicles; a statement that RVs, boats, and trailers can’t park in front of the house; 24-hour contacts for the owner, manager, and a backup; the guest’s agreement to city inspections; and the city’s sound limits. Put the trash and recycling schedule in the lease too.Source
Check guests for sex offender registration
Confirm through a nationwide background search that the person renting isn’t a registered sex offender, and have them certify that no guest is. The city says an Airbnb or Vrbo background check counts.Source
Register online
Upload the sample lease, your responsible party designation (up to three people), business tax receipt application, state tax certificate, DBPR license, signed affidavit, and proof your ads match the registration. Ads must show the approved maximum occupancy and say the home is in a residential community. Pay the fee online.Source
Renew every 12 months
Renewals are due by the date your registration expires. The city won’t renew while violations, fines, or liens are open. Adding bedrooms or raising occupancy needs a new application.Source
City registration fees
$450 a year per rental, plus city and county business tax receipts.
| Annual registration | $375 |
|---|---|
| Annual inspection | $75 |
| Change or transfer of ownershipA new registration and inspection. | $450 |
| Change of responsible party | $35 |
Inspection checklist
What the inspector looks for, from City of Palm Coast’s published checklist.
- Smoke and CO alarmsPer the current Florida Building Code, Residential.Source
- Fire extinguishersA 2A:10B:C extinguisher mounted on each floor, in an open habitable space or a marked enclosed space, maintained per NFPA 10.Source
- Emergency lightingBattery-powered, turns on automatically when the power goes out, lasts at least 90 minutes.Source
- Sleeping roomsOn an outside wall, with a closet, a door, and an escape window that meets the building code.Source
- Pool, spa, or hot tubMeets the current Florida Building Code.Source
- Posted page by the main door or on the fridgeOwner or manager contact; maximum occupancy and vehicles; no RVs, boats, or trailers out front; where the evacuation route map is; nearest hospital; quiet hours 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; trash and recycling days; canal boating rules; and the leash rule.Source
- Trash cansOne covered can for every four guests. Out no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before pickup.Source
House rules for guests
Sources
- Vacation rental and timeshare project licensing guide · Florida DBPR, Division of Hotels and Restaurants
- Rule 12A-1.061, sales tax on transient rentals (registration in part (9)) · Florida Department of Revenue (Florida Administrative Code)
- Rule 69A-43.018, fire safety for one- and two-family homes licensed as public lodging · State Fire Marshal (Florida Administrative Code)
- Certificate of Balcony Inspection (DBPR HR 7020) · Florida DBPR
- Tourist development tax · Flagler County Tax Collector
- Ordinance 2025-01, short-term vacation rentals (Code Chapter 17, Article V) · City of Palm Coast
- Short-term rental registration · City of Palm Coast
- Resolution 2025-05, short-term rental fee structure · City of Palm Coast
- Unit posting for short-term rentals · City of Palm Coast
- Affidavit for short-term vacation rentals · City of Palm Coast
- Sample rental lease agreement · City of Palm Coast
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.