Miami-Dade County, Florida
Surfside, FL vacation rental requirements
Surfside requires a $100 registration for each rental period, with no more than three registrations per property in 12 months. Driveway parking only, trash rules, and safety standards apply. The town’s 4% resort tax replaces most county tourist taxes; Airbnb collects it.
Checked against official sources November 4, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
Town Code Sec. 90-41.1. Fines are set by a town resolution. State law bars limits on how often you rent unless adopted before June 1, 2011; ask the town which parts of its rule date from before then.
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.
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Register for the tourist taxes if you take direct bookings
Hotels and rental living accommodations collect the county’s tourist and convention development taxes. If guests pay you directly, register with the Tax Collector and file a return every month, even if you collected nothing. Taxes are due the 1st of the next month and late if not postmarked by the 20th. The collection allowance applies only to returns filed online through TouristExpress.Source
Check which taxes apply to your city
Airbnb collects the county’s 2% tourist development, 1% sports facility, and 3% convention development taxes, but not in Surfside or Bal Harbour, and only the 3% convention tax in Miami Beach. Those three cities collect their own resort taxes; see your city’s page.Source
Then your city
Miami-Dade has 34 cities with very different rules, from outright bans to no rules at all. Outside the cities, the county requires its own certificate of use. Pick your city for its checklist.
Town of Surfside
Get the state license and county tax account
Every Florida vacation rental needs the DBPR license. If you take any direct bookings, you also file Miami-Dade’s tourist taxes with the county Tax Collector (or your city’s resort tax in Miami Beach, Surfside, and Bal Harbour). See the Florida and Miami-Dade County pages.Source
Register each rental with the town
Submit the notarized registration form and $100 for every rental period. Registrations can’t be transferred to another person or address.Source
Meet the safety standards
A tagged 5-pound 2A-B-C extinguisher in the kitchen, smoke detectors in each bedroom and the hall to them, escape windows without burglar bars, entry doors without double deadbolts, and railings on stairs and porches.Source
File the resort tax for non-Airbnb bookings
The 4% resort tax (Sec. 70-109) is due monthly on bookings Airbnb doesn’t collect for.Source
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 and restaurant taxes · Miami-Dade County Tax Collector
- Occupancy tax collection and remittance in Florida · Airbnb
- Short-term rental registration (rev. April 2019) · Town of Surfside
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.