St. Johns County, Florida
St. Augustine, FL vacation rental requirements
St. Augustine requires a yearly registration for every short-term rental, with a site plan, a floor plan, and an annual fire inspection. Nightly rentals are allowed in most districts, but stays must be a week or longer in RS-1 and RS-2 and a month or longer in HP-1.
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, Volusia, and Indian River (District 4) renew April 1, with the half-year rate from October 1. Flagler, St. Johns, 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.
St. Johns County, Florida
Register for the tourist tax
Get a Florida sales tax number from the Department of Revenue, a county business tax receipt, and fill out the Tax Collector’s tourist development tax application. File a return every month by the 20th, including months with no rentals. Filing correctly and on time earns a 2.5% collection allowance, up to $30.Source
Ask whether your platform covers the county tax
Airbnb’s and Vrbo’s own tax pages don’t name St. Johns County, and the Tax Collector says every owner or agent collects and remits. Plan to file it yourself unless the Tax Collector tells you a platform remits for you.Source
Know which rules cover you
St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach run their own programs. Outside city limits and east of the Intracoastal Waterway (Ponte Vedra Beach, Vilano Beach, Crescent Beach, Butler Beach), the county’s short-term vacation rental registration applies. West of the Intracoastal, including Hastings, there is no county registration.Source
Then your town
Pick your town for its full checklist.
City of St. Augustine
Check your zoning and minimum stay
In RS-1 and RS-2, rentals must be a week or longer (one stay per week, 1 to 6 nights is fine). In HP-1, a month or longer. In all other districts, nightly rentals are allowed with a registration.Source
Check your parking
You need at least one on-site space per bedroom, on concrete, asphalt, pavers, or gravel (not grass, mulch, or sand). Off-site parking needs approval from the Planning and Zoning Board.Source
Prepare a site plan and floor plan
Both are required as PDFs with the application. The city posts an example survey site plan and an example floor plan.Source
Get the state license and tax accounts
Every rental needs the DBPR license, a county business tax receipt, and a St. Johns County tourist tax account. See the St. Johns County page.
Apply online
Create an account on the city permit portal and choose "Short-Term Rental Application." Each separate listing on a booking site needs its own registration. Fees aren’t refunded if the application is denied or the final inspection fails.Source
Pass the fire inspection, then every year
The St. Augustine Fire Department inspects when you register and every year after that. Request the inspection through the city’s online form.Source
Renew by October 1
Registrations run October 1 to September 30. A $100 late fee applies after October 1.Source
City registration fees
A yearly fee based on bedrooms. The city’s FAQ still shows the lower fees from before the 2026 increase; the table on the main page is the one we list.
| Studio | $315.51 |
|---|---|
| One bedroom | $398.36 |
| Two bedrooms | $481.21 |
| Three bedrooms | $564.06 |
| Four bedrooms | $646.91 |
| Five or more bedrooms | $729.76 |
| Late renewal (after October 1) | $100 |
| Re-inspection | $50 |
Inspection checklist
What the inspector looks for, from City of St. Augustine’s published checklist.
- Address numbersVisible and legible from the street, at least 4 inches tall.Source
- Smoke alarmsIn each sleeping room, in areas giving access to sleeping rooms, and on each level.Source
- CO alarmsIn sleeping areas if the home has gas appliances or an attached garage.Source
- Fire extinguishersA 2A10BC multi-purpose extinguisher mounted on each level, serviced and tagged by a licensed company every year.Source
- Emergency lighting and exit signsBattery-backed emergency lighting throughout, and exit signs over exit doors wherever the way out may be unclear.Source
- Second way out of each bedroomA second door to the outside or a window that opens from inside. Exit paths clear.Source
- Evacuation plan in each bedroomPosted in every bedroom of the rental.Source
- Alarm and sprinkler systemsAny installed system inspected and tagged by a licensed company every year.Source
- Extension cordsNot used as permanent wiring.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 · St. Johns County Tax Collector
- Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Florida · Airbnb
- Land Development Code Article II, § 2.02.04.B.19, short-term vacation rentals · St. Johns County
- Short-term rentals · City of St. Augustine
- Short-term rental life safety inspections · City of St. Augustine Fire Department
- Code Chapter 28, Article III, Division 2, vacation rentals (Ordinances 2019-50, 2019-51, 2019-52) · City of St. Augustine (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.