Key Biscayne, FL short-term rental registration
Key Biscayne is fifteen minutes from South Beach and regulates in the opposite direction. Section 7-31 of the village code sets a minimum rental period of fifteen continuous days, which removes the weekend market entirely, and where a building's condominium documents set their own rental period those documents win. On top of that the village runs a three-part registration: a certificate of use issued after a fire inspection, then an annual local business tax receipt. Renting without the receipt draws a $250 civil violation notice.[6]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified September 20, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Key Biscayne?
Register before you list
What you apply for: Certificate of Use and local business tax receipt
- Seasonal homes
- 1,736
- Housing units
- 7,310
- Residents
- 14,791
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleRegistration required
- City fee$120
- Tax on each stay13%
- Seasonal homes238 per 1,000
Key Biscayne short-term rental rules
Key Biscayne sets a minimum rental period of fifteen continuous days for vacation rentals, under section 7-31 of the village code, and where a building's condominium documents address the rental period those documents supersede the village minimum. Before letting, an owner needs a state DBPR vacation rental licence, a village certificate of use issued after a fire inspection, and a local business tax receipt from the village. The certificate of use is a one-off $120, the fire inspection a one-off $75 and the business tax receipt $115.76 a year. The lease itself has to be in writing and incorporate the provisions of section 7-31, and it must be delivered to the village or kept available at the property for inspection. Operating without a local business tax receipt draws a civil violation notice of $250, and the rental remains subject to the village's zoning, noise, nuisance and safety rules throughout.[6]
What Key Biscayne asks of you
Section 7-31 of the village code sets a minimum rental period of fifteen continuous days for a vacation rental.[6]
Where condominium documents address the rental period, they supersede the village's fifteen-day minimum.[6]
An owner needs a state DBPR vacation rental licence, a village certificate of use issued after a fire inspection, and a village local business tax receipt.[6]
The certificate of use costs $120 once, the fire inspection $75 once, and the business tax receipt $115.76 a year.[6]
The lease must be written, must incorporate the provisions of section 7-31, and must be delivered to the village or kept available at the property for inspection.[6]
Operating without a local business tax receipt draws a civil violation notice of $250, and the rental stays subject to village zoning, noise, nuisance and safety rules.[6]
What Florida asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
Florida licenses vacation rentals itself. A house, townhouse or unit in a building of four units or fewer is licensed as a dwelling, a unit in a condominium or cooperative as a condominium, and the licence costs $150 plus $10 per rental unit plus a $10 hospitality education fee.[2]
A city cannot ban vacation rentals, nor regulate how long or how often you rent, unless its ordinance was already on the books on June 1, 2011. Ordinances adopted before that date survive untouched, which is why two neighbouring Florida towns can sit at opposite ends of the scale.[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, and 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 Key Biscayne
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 |
| Miami-Dade County discretionary sales surtax[5] | 1% | The state revenue department |
| Miami-Dade County local option transient rental tax[4] | 6% | The county |
| Total on a taxable stay | 13% |
Key Biscayne falls under the county's standard 6% local option rate, not the 7% Miami Beach carries or the 4% of Surfside and Bal Harbour. Miami-Dade administers it.[4]
How short-term rental taxes work for US hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Key Biscayne is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 1,736 of Key Biscayne's 7,310 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use — 238 out of every 1,000. That ranks Key Biscayne 22nd of the 33 Florida cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 22nd of 33
- Share of housing
- 238 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $1,575,300
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Key Biscayne sits among its neighbors
Miami Beach, FL
Allowed by zone
13,380 seasonal homes, 212 per 1,000 housing units.
Rules in Miami BeachSunny Isles Beach, FL
Permit required
7,208 seasonal homes, 367 per 1,000 housing units.
Rules in Sunny Isles BeachCocoa Beach, FL
Registration required
2,242 seasonal homes, 248 per 1,000 housing units.
Rules in Cocoa BeachIndian Rocks Beach, FL
Registration required
851 seasonal homes, 249 per 1,000 housing units.
Rules in Indian Rocks BeachFAQ
Key Biscayne short-term rental questions
Can I take a one-week booking on Key Biscayne?
What does registering cost on Key Biscayne?
Does the village want to see my lease?
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. 03/25), Florida Department of Revenue, read on September 20, 2026
- Discretionary Sales Surtax Information for Calendar Year 2026 (DR-15DSS), Florida Department of Revenue, read on September 20, 2026
- Short-Term Rentals, village services, Village of Key Biscayne, read on September 20, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on September 20, 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 house rules
Generate a complete PDF house rules document for your property: rules, schedule, amenities, emergency contacts.
Rental arbitrage calculator
Rent, deposit, furnishing, nightly rate and occupancy. You get monthly cash flow, the occupancy you break even at, and how long the setup takes to pay back.
Check-in instructions
The message a guest reads before getting in: access, keys, WiFi, parking, contact. English or bilingual output.