Franklin County, FL

Short-term rental rules in Carrabelle, FL

Carrabelle's land development code defines hotels and motels. It also has an entry for the bed-and-breakfast. It has none for a vacation rental, nor for any other short-term rental of a home.[7]

Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.

Can you rent short term in Carrabelle?

State and county rules only

Seasonal homes
260
Housing units
765
Residents
2,438

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates

  • City ruleNo city ordinance
  • City feeNone published
  • Tax on each stay10.5%
  • Seasonal homes340 per 1,000

Carrabelle vacation rental rules

Carrabelle has no vacation rental ordinance. Its code of ordinances holds no chapter on vacation or short-term rentals. What applies is the occupational license tax, levied for the privilege of engaging in or managing a business within the city. Its schedule, in force since October 1, 2013, has no line for vacation rentals. Sales open on August 1, with the tax due by September 30. A license then runs until September 30 of the next year. Late renewal adds 10% for October and 5% for each month after, capped at 25%. An unlicensed business owes a 25% penalty on top of the tax. After 150 days unpaid, a penalty of up to $250 can follow.[6]

What Carrabelle asks of you

  • Chapters 1 to 74 of the Carrabelle code include nothing on renting out a home by the night.[6]

  • The zoning use table groups hotels, resort condominiums and timeshare vacation units under Accommodations. It has no row for a single home rented short term.[8]

  • The occupational license tax schedule took effect on October 1, 2013, with no vacation rental category in it.[6]

  • A license issued from April 1 onward costs half the annual rate, for a business started on or after that date.[6]

  • Completed occupational license applications go back to the city by email or fax.[9]

What Florida asks wherever you host

These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.

  • Florida licenses vacation rentals itself. A dwelling license covers houses, townhouses and buildings of up to four units. A condominium or cooperative unit takes a condominium license instead. The license costs $150 plus $10 per rental unit, plus a $10 hospitality education fee.[2]

  • No Florida city may ban vacation rentals. It may not set how long or how often you rent either. The one exception is a local ordinance already in force on June 1, 2011, which still applies.[1]

  • State sales tax is due on every rental of six months or less. A bona fide written lease for more than six months of continuous residence is exempt. So is the seventh month onward once a guest has stayed and paid for six.[3]

Florida short-term rental rules

What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Carrabelle

Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.

Short-term rental tax layers in Carrabelle
LayerRateRemitted to
Florida state sales tax[3]6%The state revenue department
Franklin County discretionary sales surtax[5]1.5%The state revenue department
Franklin County Tourist Development Tax[4]3%The state revenue department
Total on a taxable stay10.5%

Franklin County levies its tourist development tax countywide, Carrabelle included. Ordinance 2021-06 added a cent on May 18, 2021, bringing the total to 3%.[10]

Airbnb taxes for hosts

What the census counts

How much of Carrabelle is already a second home

The Census Bureau counts 260 of Carrabelle's 765 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 340 out of every 1,000. It ranks Carrabelle 15th of the 48 Florida cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.

Rank in the state
15th of 48
Share of housing
340 per 1,000
Median home value
$217,900

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.

Nearby and comparable

Where Carrabelle sits among its neighbors

Mexico Beach, FL

No city ordinance

467 seasonal homes, 354 per 1,000 housing units.

Mexico Beach short-term rental rules

Estero, FL

No city ordinance

7,572 seasonal homes, 281 per 1,000 housing units.

Estero short-term rental rules

Marco Island, FL

No city ordinance

9,100 seasonal homes, 492 per 1,000 housing units.

Marco Island short-term rental rules

Holmes Beach, FL

Certificate required

1,367 seasonal homes, 309 per 1,000 housing units.

Holmes Beach short-term rental rules
StatewideEvery Florida city on this site, in one tableState law, the tax stack and every city we cover in Florida, with what each one asks of a host.Florida short-term rental rules

Keep exploring

FAQ

Carrabelle short-term rental questions

Does Carrabelle require a short-term rental permit?

No. The city code sets no permit or registration for short-term rentals. Its occupational license schedule has no category for them either.[6]

Does Carrabelle zoning mention vacation rentals?

Not by name. Its use table has rows for timeshare vacation units, resort condominiums and hotels. A house rented by the night gets no row of its own.[8]

Where does a Carrabelle host pay the tourist tax?

To the Florida Department of Revenue, on the same return as the sales tax and the surtax. Franklin County does not collect it directly.[4]
Read nextHow to start an AirbnbThe six steps in order, starting with the permit check.Read the guide

Sources

  1. Florida Statutes § 509.032(7), Duties — preemption of vacation rental regulation, The Florida Legislature, read on September 20, 2026
  2. Guide to Vacation Rentals and Timeshare Projects, Division of Hotels and Restaurants, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, read on September 20, 2026
  3. Sales and Use Tax on Rental of Living or Sleeping Accommodations (GT-800034, R. 10/25), Florida Department of Revenue, read on September 20, 2026
  4. Local Option Transient Rental Tax Rates (DR-15TDT, R. 10/26), Florida Department of Revenue, read on October 2, 2026
  5. Discretionary Sales Surtax Information for Calendar Year 2026 (DR-15DSS), Florida Department of Revenue, read on September 20, 2026
  6. Code of Ordinances, Part II, Chapter 62 Taxation, occupational license tax, City of Carrabelle, read on October 1, 2026
  7. Land Development Code, Article XIII, Definitions, City of Carrabelle, read on October 1, 2026
  8. Table 2.02.01, Allowable Uses in Zoning Districts (revised May 2019), City of Carrabelle, read on October 1, 2026
  9. Forms, occupational license application, City of Carrabelle, read on October 1, 2026
  10. Code of Ordinances, Section 16-4, additional one-percent tourist development tax, Franklin County, read on October 1, 2026

This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 2, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.

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