Okaloosa County, FL

Destin, FL short-term rental registration

Destin lets you rent short term as long as the property is on the city's register before a guest moves in. A unit in a larger condominium building falls outside that register, and the state licenses it as a condominium.[6]

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

Can you rent short term in Destin?

Register before you list

What you apply for: Short-Term Rental Registration

Seasonal homes
5,021
Housing units
13,668
Residents
14,077

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

  • City ruleRegistration required
  • City fee$200
  • Tax on each stay13%
  • Seasonal homes367 per 1,000

Destin short-term rental registration

Destin requires every short-term rental to be registered with the city. The code makes it unlawful to let anyone occupy a single-family detached dwelling as a seasonal resident unless the property is registered. Townhomes, duplexes and triplexes are covered too. Registration costs $200 per unit, and the application fee is non-refundable. The year runs from January 1, so every property re-registers each January whatever month it first joined. The late fees are steep and staged: $100 after March 31, then $500 after June 1. Before applying you need three documents obtained elsewhere. They are a City of Destin local business tax receipt, a DBPR dwelling license and a State of Florida resale tax certificate. Destin defines a short-term rental as any occupancy between one day and six months, which lines the city up with the state's own tax threshold.[6]

What Destin asks of you

  • The code makes it unlawful to let a person occupy a single-family detached dwelling as a seasonal resident in Destin unless the property has been registered with the city. Single-family homes, townhomes, duplexes and triplexes all have to register.[6]

  • Destin defines a short-term rental as any occupancy of a dwelling unit for between one day and six months. That lines the city definition up with the state's own tax threshold.[6]

  • Registration costs $200 per unit and the application fee is non-refundable.[6]

  • Registration restarts on January 1 each year. A $100 late fee applies after March 31, and after June 1 the late fee becomes $500.[6]

  • Before applying you need a City of Destin local business tax receipt, a DBPR dwelling license and a State of Florida resale tax certificate.[6]

Apply on the Destin site

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 Destin

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

Short-term rental tax layers in Destin
LayerRateRemitted to
Florida state sales tax[3]6%The state revenue department
Okaloosa County discretionary sales surtax[5]1%The state revenue department
Okaloosa County Tourist Development Tax[4]6%The county
Total on a taxable stay13%

Okaloosa County runs its own tourist development tax at 6% across both its tourist development tax district and the expansion district, and collects it itself. Add the state layers and a taxable Destin stay carries 13%.[4]

Florida transient rental taxAirbnb taxes for hosts

What the census counts

How much of Destin is already a second home

The Census Bureau counts 5,021 of Destin's 13,668 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 367 out of every 1,000. It ranks Destin 10th of the 48 Florida cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.

Rank in the state
10th of 48
Share of housing
367 per 1,000
Median home value
$490,300

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

Nearby and comparable

Where Destin sits among its neighbors

Sunny Isles Beach, FL

License required

7,208 seasonal homes, 367 per 1,000 housing units.

Sunny Isles Beach short-term rental rules

Bradenton Beach, FL

License required

776 seasonal homes, 416 per 1,000 housing units.

Bradenton Beach short-term rental rules

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL

Certificate required

3,163 seasonal homes, 458 per 1,000 housing units.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea short-term rental rules

Anna Maria, FL

License required

517 seasonal homes, 344 per 1,000 housing units.

Anna Maria 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

Destin short-term rental questions

When does a Destin short-term rental registration expire?

It runs by calendar year. Every registered property re-registers from January 1, and the late fees start at $100 after March 31 and rise to $500 after June 1.[6]

Does a condo in Destin have to register with the city?

The city names single-family homes, townhomes, duplexes and triplexes. A unit in a larger condominium building is licensed by the state as a condominium, and the city's registration list does not extend to it.[6]

How much tax does a guest pay in Destin?

Thirteen percent: 6% Florida sales tax, 1% Okaloosa County surtax and the county's 6% tourist development tax, which Okaloosa collects 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. Register a Short Term Rental, City of Destin, 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.

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