LicensedRental

Palm Beach County, Florida

Boca Raton, FL vacation rental requirements

Boca Raton’s zoning code treats any building offering accommodations “on a short-term or transient basis” as a motel, a use its residential districts don’t allow. The city’s rules predate Florida’s 2011 law and have been reported as barring rentals shorter than six months. Confirm with the city before you list.

Checked against official sources November 4, 2026

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Short-term rentals
Treated as a motel use
Accommodations offered on a short-term or transient basis.Source
Reported minimum
Six months
As reported in 2018; not stated as a number in the definitions we read.Source
Fines
Up to $1,000 a day, $5,000 for repeats
As reported in 2018.Source

Florida law (509.032(7)) protects local limits adopted before June 1, 2011. The Coastal Star reported in 2018 that Boca’s pre-2011 rules don’t permit short-term rentals for less than six months, with fines up to $1,000 a day and $5,000 a day for repeat violators.

Your licensing checklist

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

State of Florida

  1. 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

    DBPR vacation rental licensing guide →

  2. 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

  3. 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

    Florida Department of Revenue →

  4. 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

    Florida rental fire safety checklist (FireEscapePlan.com) →

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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.

Palm Beach County, Florida

  1. Register with the Tax Collector before you advertise

    Apply for a vacation rental business tax receipt (or a home sharing receipt if you live there during stays) and a tourist development tax account, one set per property. You may not advertise or list the property until you have both.Source

    TDT support center (Palm Beach County Tax Collector) →

  2. Put both numbers on every listing

    Airbnb, Vrbo, and other platforms must ask for your business tax receipt and tourist tax numbers before listing a Palm Beach County property, and the numbers must appear on every ad. Listings without valid numbers can be taken down.Source

  3. File the tourist tax every month

    File electronically every month, even in months with no bookings. Platforms collect the tax from guests and pass it to you; you send it to the Tax Collector. Keep records of each stay, its length, and its price for three years.Source

  4. Renew the business tax receipt by September 30

    Renewal needs the fee, every monthly return filed, and any changes to your registration. Without a renewal filed by September 30 you can’t keep advertising. The receipt can’t be transferred to a new owner or address.Source

  5. No events or sales

    County rules bar non-residential uses of a short-term rental, such as selling products or holding events that charge admission.Source

  6. Then your town

    Many Palm Beach County towns require their own permit and inspection. Pick your town for its full checklist.

City of Boca Raton

  1. Confirm before you list

    Ask the city’s Development Services or Code Compliance how your zoning district treats rentals shorter than six months. Residential districts allow homes, not motels, and the zoning code’s motel definition covers any building with short-term or transient accommodations.Source

  2. Get the state license and the county tax accounts

    Every Florida vacation rental needs the DBPR license. Palm Beach County also requires a county business tax receipt and a tourist tax account from the Tax Collector before you advertise, with both numbers on every listing. See the Florida and Palm Beach County pages.Source

  3. Check your HOA or condo rules

    Most Boca communities have their own minimum lease terms, often longer than the city’s.

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.