Sarasota, FL short-term rental registration
Weekly stays work in Sarasota, nightly ones do not: every vacation rental in the city carries a seven-night minimum. Condominiums and owner-occupied homes skip the registration. The minimum stay applies to them all the same.[6]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Sarasota?
Register before you list
What you apply for: Vacation Rental Certificate of Registration
- Seasonal homes
- 4,676
- Housing units
- 32,324
- Residents
- 56,970
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleRegistration required
- City fee$500
- Tax on each stay13%
- Seasonal homes145 per 1,000
Sarasota short-term rental registration
Sarasota's certificate of registration must be in hand before a vacation rental is advertised or operated. A certificate covers a single unit, and a new owner has to apply for a fresh one. The first application is $500 and covers the initial inspection. After that, renewal is $350 a year. Filing it between July 1 and October 1 avoids a $200 late fee. A certificate lapses on December 31 of the year it was issued. Every vacation rental is inspected once a year under city code Section 34.5-10. Each advertised listing must show the certificate number and respect the seven-night minimum.[7]
What Sarasota asks of you
Registration applies to any dwelling of one to four units in a residential single-family or multi-family zone district. The certificate must be issued before the dwelling is advertised as a vacation rental.[6]
Owner-occupied vacation rentals, condominiums and cooperatives are outside the registration. So are rentals of at least 30 consecutive days.[6]
Every vacation rental in the city limits has a minimum stay of seven full days and nights. The rule sits in Zoning Code Sections II-304(b)(1) and VI-202(b).[7]
The initial application costs $500, first inspection included. Renewal costs $350 a year, and a late filing adds $200.[7]
Certificates expire on December 31 of the year they are issued. Renewal applications go in between July 1 and October 1 to avoid the late fee.[7]
Each unit needs its own certificate, which cannot be transferred. A change of ownership means a new certificate.[7]
The city inspects every vacation rental each year under Section 34.5-10. The certificate number must appear in all advertised listings.[7]
A welcome binder or posted notice inside the unit names the designated responsible party. It also states the maximum occupancy and the maximum number of vehicles.[7]
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 Sarasota
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 |
| Sarasota County discretionary sales surtax[5] | 1% | The state revenue department |
| Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax[4] | 6% | The county |
| Total on a taxable stay | 13% |
The city asks for evidence that tourist development tax is being remitted to the Sarasota County Tax Collector. If Airbnb or Vrbo remits it on your behalf, a platform earnings report serves as that evidence.[7]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Sarasota is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 4,676 of Sarasota's 32,324 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 145 out of every 1,000. It ranks Sarasota 40th of the 48 Florida cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 40th of 48
- Share of housing
- 145 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $463,000
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Sarasota sits among its neighbors
Venice, FL
Allowed by zone
4,723 seasonal homes, 225 per 1,000 housing units.
Venice short-term rental rulesPort St. Joe, FL
License required
323 seasonal homes, 148 per 1,000 housing units.
Port St. Joe short-term rental rulesPompano Beach, FL
Permit required
8,149 seasonal homes, 133 per 1,000 housing units.
Pompano Beach short-term rental rulesFort Lauderdale, FL
Registration required
12,715 seasonal homes, 125 per 1,000 housing units.
Fort Lauderdale short-term rental rulesFAQ
Sarasota short-term rental questions
Can I rent my Sarasota house for a weekend?
Does a Sarasota condo need a certificate of registration?
When does a Sarasota certificate of registration expire?
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
- Vacation Rental Registration and Compliance, City of Sarasota, read on October 2, 2026
- Initial Application Packet, Vacation Rental Certificate of Registration (Rev. 9.25), City of Sarasota, read on October 2, 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 profit calculator
Nightly rate, occupancy, Airbnb fee, management, mortgage, taxes and depreciation. You get cash flow, cash-on-cash return and what is left after the IRS.
Airbnb house rules
Generate a complete PDF house rules document for your property: rules, schedule, amenities, emergency contacts.