St. Augustine Beach, FL short-term rental limits
St. Augustine Beach allows transient rentals in two land use categories only, and one of them is capped. For a medium-density address the first question is whether a slot exists, and the paperwork only starts once it does.[6]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 2, 2026.
Can you rent short term in St. Augustine Beach?
Limited number allowed
What you apply for: Transient rental business tax receipt
- Seasonal homes
- 1,377
- Housing units
- 4,553
- Residents
- 6,860
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleCapped
- City feeNone published
- Tax on each stay11.5%
- Seasonal homes302 per 1,000
St. Augustine Beach transient rental rules
St. Augustine Beach allows transient rentals only in land zoned commercial or medium-density residential. It limits the medium-density district to one hundred of them, and the commercial district has no limit. The rules sit in section 3.09 of the city code, which governs transient lodging facilities within medium density land use districts. An owner first needs a current rental license from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, under section 509.241 of the statutes. A Department of Revenue sales tax permit is also required. Only then will the city process its own business tax receipt and transient rental application. The building department then inspects against the applicable building and safety codes. Licenses, inspections and taxes are renewed and paid annually, to the city and to St. Johns County. Resort condominium units fall outside section 3.09, but still need a business tax receipt under the hotels, motels, apartments and condominiums class. A transient rental also loses the homestead exemption and pays commercial garbage rates.[6]
What St. Augustine Beach asks of you
Transient rentals are allowed only in areas with a commercial or medium-density residential land use, and the medium-density district is limited to one hundred of them. Commercial has no limit.[6]
Section 3.09 of the city code governs transient lodging facilities within medium density land use districts.[6]
Owners need a current DBPR rental license under section 509.241 of the Florida Statutes and a Department of Revenue sales tax permit before the city's applications are processed.[6]
The owner then files the city's business tax receipt and transient rental applications, and arranges an inspection by the building department against the applicable building and safety codes.[6]
Licenses, inspections and taxes are renewed and paid annually, both to the city and to St. Johns County.[6]
Resort condominium units are outside section 3.09 but still need a business tax receipt under the hotels, motels, apartments and condominiums class. A transient rental cannot claim the homestead exemption and pays commercial garbage rates.[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 St. Augustine Beach
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 |
| St. Johns County discretionary sales surtax[5] | 0.5% | The state revenue department |
| St. Johns County Tourist Development Tax[4] | 5% | The county |
| Total on a taxable stay | 11.5% |
St. Johns County collects its own 5% tourist development tax, and the city is explicit that the county side renews annually alongside the city side. The stack totals 11.5%.[4]
What the census counts
How much of St. Augustine Beach is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 1,377 of St. Augustine Beach's 4,553 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 302 out of every 1,000. It ranks St. Augustine Beach 17th of the 48 Florida cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 17th of 48
- Share of housing
- 302 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $634,400
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where St. Augustine Beach sits among its neighbors
St. Augustine, FL
Registration required
1,318 seasonal homes, 151 per 1,000 housing units.
St. Augustine short-term rental rulesMarathon, FL
Capped
1,522 seasonal homes, 234 per 1,000 housing units.
Marathon short-term rental rulesKey West, FL
Capped
2,161 seasonal homes, 148 per 1,000 housing units.
Key West short-term rental rulesBonita Springs, FL
Permit required
11,877 seasonal homes, 298 per 1,000 housing units.
Bonita Springs short-term rental rulesFAQ
St. Augustine Beach short-term rental questions
How many short-term rentals does St. Augustine Beach allow?
Do condominiums count against the cap?
Does a transient rental keep its homestead exemption?
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
- Transient Rentals, City of St. Augustine Beach, 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.