LicensedRental

Palm Beach County, Florida

Boynton Beach, FL vacation rental requirements

Boynton Beach requires every short-term rental to get a city Certificate of Use and Occupancy and business tax receipt, renewed each year after a new inspection: $525 to apply and $325 to renew. Up to 2 guests per bedroom plus 2 (10 at most), a floor plan and site plan, and a local responsible party who visits weekly.

Checked against official sources November 4, 2026

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City approval
$525, then $325 a year
Each includes the first inspection; reinspections are $100. Expires September 30.Source
Maximum guests
2 per bedroom plus 2, up to 10
Up to four children under 10 don’t count. Gatherings up to 1½ times that, 15 at most.Source
Responsible party
Lives in Palm Beach, Broward, or Martin
Visits the rental at least weekly and handles neighbor complaints.Source
Fines
Up to $15,000
For occupancy and commercial-use violations; fines can’t be reduced.Source

Adopted July 18, 2023 (Ordinance 23-012), effective October 1, 2023, with the application form approved by Resolution R23-094. Repeat violations can suspend the certificate for up to a year.

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 Boynton Beach

  1. 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

  2. Draw the floor plan and site plan

    A neat, legible sketch showing the number and size of bedrooms, the pool and its safety barrier, trash and RV storage, and the parking spaces, measured to show they meet the minimums.Source

    Draw your floor plan and parking sketch (FireEscapePlan.com) →

  3. Meet the safety standards

    A 2A:10B:C extinguisher on the wall of each floor, hard-wired emergency lighting at the main entry and exit of every building, a pool that meets the state safety act, and a home that meets the current Florida Building Code minimums.Source

  4. Apply for the Certificate of Use and business tax receipt

    Apply separately for each unit with the fee, the sketch, an affidavit of compliance signed by you and your local responsible party, and a signed agreement letting Boynton Beach police handle trespassing for you. Approvals from before July 2023 don’t carry over; reapply.Source

  5. Post the rules and advertise accurately

    Near the entrance, post the address, the responsible party’s contact, maximum occupancy (guests and visitors), the approved vehicles with the parking plan, trash rules, the nearest hospital and police station, copies of your certificate and receipt, and a copy of the city’s rental rules. Every ad must match the certificate’s occupancy and reference it, and you must tell the city every site you list on.Source

  6. Renew and pass inspection every year

    The certificate expires September 30. Renewal requires a new city inspection.Source

City short-term rental fees

$525 to apply and $325 to renew each year, each including the first inspection. Business tax receipt fees are separate.

Initial application (includes first inspection)$525 per unit
Annual renewal (includes first inspection)$325 per unit
Reinspection$100

In effect since October 1, 2023. Source

Inspection checklist

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

  • Fire extinguishersA 2A:10B:C extinguisher on the wall of each floor, per NFPA 10.Source
  • Emergency lightingHard-wired, at the primary entry and exit of each building on the property.Source
  • Pool, spa, and hot tubMeets Florida Statutes chapter 515.Source
  • Bedrooms and occupancyThe inspector confirms the number and size of bedrooms and the maximum guests.Source
  • Posted informationAddress, responsible party, occupancy, parking plan, trash rules, hospital and police, certificate and receipt, and a copy of the rental chapter.Source

House rules for guests

Maximum guests
2 per bedroom plus 2, up to 10
Source
Guests under 21
A registered guest 25 or older must be present
Source
Whole unit only
No renting single rooms
Unless you live on the property.Source
Parking
Approved off-street spaces or driveway
No parking on grass or swales, and none on the street overnight.Source
Commercial use
None allowed
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.