Where short-term rentals are allowed in Crystal River, FL
Crystal River permits short stays only in zoning districts that allow what the city calls a resort housing unit. Its land development code does not use the words short-term rental at all. Where the use is not permitted, your own advertising can serve as evidence against you.[6]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Crystal River?
Your zoning decides
What you apply for: Resort housing unit use
- Seasonal homes
- 413
- Housing units
- 2,281
- Residents
- 3,638
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleAllowed by zone
- City feeNone published
- Tax on each stay11%
- Seasonal homes181 per 1,000
Crystal River short-term rental rules
Crystal River regulates short-term rentals through its land development code as resort housing units. Those are dwelling units, other than hotels and motels, made available to people for temporary occupancy. The code defines temporary occupancy as being rented or occupied for periods of less than three consecutive months. Where resort housing units are a permitted use, there is no limit on the frequency of change or the length of stay of occupants. The one exception is that rentals of less than one week are not permitted. Where the use is not permitted, a dwelling unit may not be rented or occupied for periods of less than three consecutive months. That restriction does not apply to temporary, non-paying guests of lawful occupants. Advertising a unit for less than three consecutive months is prima facie evidence that the dwelling is being used as a resort housing unit. So is recording covenants, condominium declarations, cooperative documents or public offering statements that sanction such occupancy.[6]
What Crystal River asks of you
A resort housing unit is a dwelling unit other than a hotel or motel made available for temporary occupancy. Temporary occupancy means rented or occupied for periods of less than three consecutive months.[6]
Where resort housing units are a permitted use, there is no limit on how often occupants change or how long they stay. The exception is that rentals of less than one week are not permitted.[6]
Where resort housing units are not a permitted use, a dwelling may not be rented or occupied for periods of less than three consecutive months. Temporary, non-paying guests of lawful occupants are outside the restriction.[6]
Advertising a unit for periods of less than three consecutive months is prima facie evidence that it is being used as a resort housing unit.[6]
So is recording covenants, condominium declarations, cooperative documents or public offering statements that sanction occupancy for periods under three consecutive months.[6]
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]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Crystal River
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Florida state sales tax[3] | 6% | The state revenue department |
| Citrus County Tourist Development Tax[4] | 5% | The state revenue department |
| Total on a taxable stay | 11% |
Citrus is one of the few counties that levies no discretionary sales surtax and lets the Department of Revenue collect its 5% tourist development tax. One return covers the whole 11%.[5]
What the census counts
How much of Crystal River is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 413 of Crystal River's 2,281 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 181 out of every 1,000. It ranks Crystal River 33rd of the 48 Florida cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 33rd of 48
- Share of housing
- 181 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $332,100
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Crystal River sits among its neighbors
New Smyrna Beach, FL
Allowed by zone
4,282 seasonal homes, 195 per 1,000 housing units.
New Smyrna Beach short-term rental rulesMiami Beach, FL
Allowed by zone
13,380 seasonal homes, 212 per 1,000 housing units.
Miami Beach short-term rental rulesVenice, FL
Allowed by zone
4,723 seasonal homes, 225 per 1,000 housing units.
Venice short-term rental rulesFlagler Beach, FL
Permit required
629 seasonal homes, 170 per 1,000 housing units.
Flagler Beach short-term rental rulesFAQ
Crystal River short-term rental questions
Can I rent a Crystal River house for a weekend?
How does the city prove a house is a resort housing unit?
How much tax does a Crystal River stay carry?
Sources
- Florida Statutes § 509.032(7), Duties — preemption of vacation rental regulation, The Florida Legislature, read on September 20, 2026
- Guide to Vacation Rentals and Timeshare Projects, Division of Hotels and Restaurants, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, read on September 20, 2026
- 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
- Local Option Transient Rental Tax Rates (DR-15TDT, R. 10/26), Florida Department of Revenue, read on October 2, 2026
- Discretionary Sales Surtax Information for Calendar Year 2026 (DR-15DSS), Florida Department of Revenue, read on September 20, 2026
- Land Development Code, resort housing units, City of Crystal River, read on September 20, 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.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
Airbnb host fee calculator
What Airbnb takes on a booking under the 15.5% host-only fee or the old split fee, what the guest pays on top, and the payout that reaches you.
Airbnb cleaning checklist generator
Build a printable turnover checklist by room, with restock, photos to take and a place for the cleaner to sign. Free PDF, no sign-up.
Check-in instructions
The message a guest reads before getting in: access, keys, WiFi, parking, contact. English or bilingual output.