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Orlando Short-Term Rental Rules: What Hosts Need to Know in 2026
Orlando regulates short-term rentals through an owner-occupied Home Sharing Registration. The resident must live on site and be present while hosting, only one booking is allowed at a time, and no more than half of the dwelling unit may be rented.
Registration costs $275 the first year, then $100 for an owner-occupied unit or $125 for a non-owner-occupied unit. Whole-home rentals fall outside home sharing and are limited to specific zoning districts.
Home sharing is the city’s main short-term rental path
The city’s home sharing ordinance took effect on July 1, 2018. It allows residents to rent individual bedrooms, garage apartments, and similar space, provided the resident lives on site, is present while hosting, and takes only one booking at a time.
A whole-property rental is treated as a Commercial Dwelling Unit, not home sharing. That use is limited to certain zoning districts and requires a business tax receipt, so the zoning check comes before the application.
- Rental period under 30 days.
- One booking at a time.
- Resident lives on site and is present while hosting.
- No more than half of the dwelling unit is rented.
Registration basics
The registration is tied to the resident and the property, and the city reviews the application before an interior inspection.
Home Sharing Registration
Apply online through the city, provide two proofs of primary residence, and pay $275 for the first year.
Renewal
Renew annually for $100 if the owner lives on the property or $125 if the unit is non-owner-occupied.
Tenant applicants
A tenant may register with the owner’s notarized permission. A property in a mandatory HOA also needs an HOA approval letter.
License fees
| Label | Fee |
|---|---|
| New license — Home Sharing Registration | $275 |
| Renewal — Owner-occupied | $100 |
| Renewal — Non-owner-occupied | $125 |
Home sharing requirements
- Rent for less than 30 days, take only one booking at a time, and live on site and be present while hosting.
- Use no more than half of the dwelling unit for home sharing.
- Limit each booking to four unrelated guests, or two guests per room, whichever is less.
- Link proof of registration to every online advertisement, and make the listing match what the registration allows.
- Provide two proofs of primary residence and, for a property in a mandatory HOA, an HOA approval letter.
- A tenant needs the owner’s notarized permission; renting the entire unit is not allowed under the home sharing rules.
Enforcement: code board fines and revocation
The Code Enforcement Board can fine up to $1,000 per day once a compliance deadline passes. Repeat violators face up to $5,000 per day, and an irreparable violation can reach $15,000.
A violation of a home sharing standard or condition can also revoke the registration, which ends the ability to take short-term bookings at that property.
- First violation: up to $1,000 per day after the compliance deadline.
- Repeat violation: up to $5,000 per day.
- Irreparable violation: up to $15,000.
- Registration can be revoked for a violation.
| Item | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Violation | The Code Enforcement Board may fine up to $1,000 per day once a compliance deadline passes. |
| Repeat violation | A repeat violator may be fined up to $5,000 per day, and an irreparable violation up to $15,000. |
| Revocation | A violation of a home sharing standard or condition can revoke the registration. |
Lodging taxes: about 12.5%
Combined hotel occupancy tax ~12.5%
The combined rate is about 12.5%: 6% Florida sales tax, 0.5% Orange County discretionary surtax, and 6% Orange County tourist development tax.
The host must collect and remit the tourist development tax. Confirm whether the booking platform handles the county portion before relying on the platform.
Returns are filed monthly with the Orange County Comptroller and are due by the 20th. File even when no tax was collected.
- Collection
- The host must collect and remit the tourist development tax; confirm whether the booking platform handles it before relying on the platform.
- Filing
- Monthly tourist development tax return through the Orange County Comptroller, due by the 20th; file even when no tax was collected.
Ranges vary — verify. A late tourist development tax return carries a penalty of 10% of the tax due or $50, whichever is greater.
Compare Orlando with other STR markets
Fort Lauderdale issues a city certificate of compliance for whole-home rentals, while New Orleans uses non-commercial and commercial permits with block-level caps. Orlando’s residential path is owner-occupied home sharing.
Phoenix
Arizona
Allowed citywide with permit (state law bars city bans — host-friendly)
Low–moderate enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Phoenix rules →Scottsdale
Arizona
Licensed; Arizona law preempts local bans and occupancy caps
Moderate enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Scottsdale rules →Sedona
Arizona
Permit required; Arizona law sets the regulatory floor
Moderate enforcement
New license $210
Last verified
View Sedona rules →Los Angeles
California
Allowed in the host’s primary residence with registration; 120-night annual cap unless extended
High enforcement
New license $441
Last verified
View Los Angeles rules →Palm Springs
California
Allowed in single-family homes with an annual certificate; new certificates capped at 20% per organized neighborhood
High enforcement
New license — Vacation Rental $1,046
Last verified
View Palm Springs rules →San Diego
California
Licensed by tier; whole-home licenses are capped by ordinance
High enforcement
New license — Tier 1 — Part-Time $193
Last verified
View San Diego rules →San Francisco
California
Allowed only in the host’s permanent residence with registration; un-hosted stays capped at 90 nights per year
High enforcement
New license $925
Last verified
View San Francisco rules →Santa Monica
California
Home-sharing only in the host’s primary residence; un-hosted vacation rentals are unlawful
High enforcement
New license $582.25
Last verified
View Santa Monica rules →Denver
Colorado
Licensed, primary residence only
High enforcement
New license $150
Last verified
View Denver rules →Washington
District of Columbia
Licensed, primary residence only
High enforcement
New license $99
Last verified
View Washington rules →Fort Lauderdale
Florida
Licensed and inspected; annual Certificate of Compliance required
High enforcement
New license — Certificate of Compliance $880
Last verified
View Fort Lauderdale rules →Miami
Florida
Licensed and enforced; city and county requirements run in parallel
High enforcement
Last verified
View Miami rules →Tampa
Florida
State-licensed; city rental registration repealed in 2023
Low–moderate enforcement
New license $230
Last verified
View Tampa rules →Atlanta
Georgia
Licensed, primary residence plus one additional dwelling unit
High enforcement
New license $150
Last verified
View Atlanta rules →Savannah
Georgia
Certified STVR, overlay district only, per-ward cap
High enforcement
New license $400
Last verified
View Savannah rules →Chicago
Illinois
Registered shared housing unit (31 days or fewer)
High enforcement
New license $250
Last verified
View Chicago rules →New Orleans
Louisiana
Licensed, capped, and lottery-based
High enforcement
New license — NSTR owner permit $500
Last verified
View New Orleans rules →Boston
Massachusetts
Registered, owner-occupied primary residence only
High enforcement
New license — Limited Share $25
Last verified
View Boston rules →Las Vegas
Nevada
Licensed; owner-occupied homes only (city limits)
High enforcement
New license $500
Last verified
View Las Vegas rules →New York
New York
Legal only in a registered primary residence (hosted stays)
High enforcement
New license $145
Last verified
View New York rules →Portland
Oregon
Permitted as an accessory use (primary residence required)
Moderate enforcement
Last verified
View Portland rules →Charleston
South Carolina
Licensed, primary residence only (commercial STRs only in the overlay district)
High enforcement
New license $345
Last verified
View Charleston rules →Nashville
Tennessee
Allowed with permit; heavy zoning restrictions on investor units
High enforcement
New license $313
Last verified
View Nashville rules →Austin
Texas
Licensed & enforced
High enforcement
New license $736.60
Last verified
View Austin rules →Seattle
Washington
Licensed; up to two units per operator
High enforcement
New license $75
Last verified
View Seattle rules →Frequently asked questions
Can I rent my entire home in Orlando?
Generally no under the home sharing rules. A whole-property rental is classified as a Commercial Dwelling Unit, which is limited to certain zoning districts and requires a business tax receipt.
How much does the city registration cost?
The first year is $275. Each year after that is $100 when the owner lives on the property, or $125 for a non-owner-occupied unit.
Do I also need a Florida DBPR license?
A whole-unit rental that is rented more than three times in a calendar year for periods under 30 days generally needs a state vacation rental license. Renting individual rooms in a home you live in generally does not.
Official sources and cross-checks
Sources with links
- City of Orlando — Home Sharing Registration orlando.gov
- City of Orlando — Short-Term Rentals Fact Sheet orlando.gov
- Orange County Comptroller — Tourist Development Tax occompt.com
- Florida Department of Revenue — Sales and Use Tax on Rental of Living or Sleeping Accommodations (GT-800034) floridarevenue.com