Manatee County, Florida
Holmes Beach, FL vacation rental requirements
Holmes Beach requires a Vacation Rental Certificate for every rental property ($780, renewed every two years, inspections included) plus a yearly West Manatee Fire Rescue inspection. Minimum stays depend on zoning: 30 days in R-1 and R-1AA (no more than one rental per 30 days), 7 days in R-2, R-3, and R-4, and daily in A-1.
Checked against official sources November 4, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
City Code Sec. 4-8 and the Land Development Code, Article VI (zoning).
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, Volusia, Indian River, St. Lucie, Orange, Osceola, Lake, and Seminole (District 4) renew April 1, with the half-year rate from October 1. Duval, Nassau, Clay, Flagler, St. Johns, Levy, Alachua, Marion, and the rest of District 5 renew June 1, with the half-year rate from December 1. Bay, Walton, Okaloosa, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Gulf, Franklin, and the rest of District 6 also renew June 1. Martin, Palm Beach, and Broward (District 2) renew December 1, with the half-year rate from June 1. Miami-Dade and Monroe (District 1) renew October 1, with the half-year rate from April 1. Collier, Lee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Manatee, and the rest of District 7 renew December 1, with the half-year rate from June 1. Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Polk, Hernando, Citrus, and the rest of District 3 renew February 1, with the half-year rate from August 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.
Manatee County, Florida
Open a tourist tax account and file every period
Complete the Manatee County tourist tax application and get a state sales tax certificate. Then file and pay the county tax every month or quarter, even if Airbnb or Vrbo collected it from guests; they don’t send it to the county. Quarterly returns are late after April 20, July 20, October 20, and January 20.Source
Then your city
Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach, and Bradenton each require a city registration; Palmetto and the unincorporated county don’t. Pick your area for its checklist.
City of Holmes Beach
Get the state license and county tax account
Every Florida vacation rental needs the DBPR license. In Manatee County you also open a tourist tax account and file the county tourist tax yourself, monthly or quarterly, because the Tax Collector has no agreement with Airbnb or Vrbo to collect it. See the Florida and Manatee County pages.Source
Check your zoning district
R-1 and R-1AA: rent for 30 consecutive days or more, once per 30 days. R-2, R-3, and R-4: 7 consecutive days or more, once per 7 days. A-1: daily. Some nonconforming R-1 rentals have a 10-year “sunshine” period (LDC Article IV, Sec. 4.2(D)).Source
Apply for the Vacation Rental Certificate
Apply or renew in the CitizenServe portal using the city’s checklist, then schedule the city inspection. The city no longer requires a rental business tax receipt.Source
Schedule the yearly fire inspection
Book the transient public lodging inspection with West Manatee Fire Rescue each year.Source
Fees
| Initial application (inspections included) | $780 |
|---|---|
| Renewal (every two years) | $780 |
| First reinspection | $50 |
| Second reinspection | $75 |
| Change of authorized agent | $50 |
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
- What is tourist development tax? · Manatee County Tax Collector
- Vacation rental certificates · City of Holmes Beach
- Sec. 4-8, vacation rentals · City of Holmes Beach (Municode)
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.