Own Luxury Homes®
Own Luxury Homes® Florida Short-Term Rental Viability Index™
Own Luxury Homes® Florida Short-Term Rental Viability Index™: ~500,000 active FL STR listings: 5-tier STR viability rating for Florida markets. Tier 1 highest viability: Osceola County Disney/Kissimmee, Polk County. Tier 4 restricted: Miami Beach 30-day minimum ordinance, Palm Beach barrier island. Critical finding: HOA CC&Rs prohibit STR in most master-planned FL communities regardless of municipal permissiveness — not disclosed on MLS listings. Own Luxury Homes® 12-Point Agent Integrity Audit™.
Own Luxury Homes® Florida Short-Term Rental Viability Index™
The most common question from Florida investment buyers is not about cap rates — it’s whether they can list on Airbnb. Florida’s STR landscape is a patchwork of municipal ordinances, HOA CC&R restrictions, and registration requirements invisible from a listing sheet. This Index rates major Florida markets on a 5-tier viability scale so investors filter before searching, not after closing.
01 — Florida STR Market Viability Tiers
| Market / Community Type | Tier | Status | Key Restriction | Investor Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osceola County (Disney/Kissimmee) | TIER 1 HIGH | Highly permissive | No significant municipal restriction | ChampionsGate, Windsor Hills, Emerald Island, Solara Resort built for STR. Highest-viability FL market. |
| Polk County (Four Corners area) | TIER 1 HIGH | Permissive; registration required | County registration required | Disney spillover. Lower price per door, similar vacation demand profile. |
| Gulf Coast (no municipal restriction) | TIER 2 | County permits with registration | Annual registration; occupancy limits; FL DBPR registration for 3+ rentals/year | Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Punta Gorda where HOA permits. Verify CC&Rs before any purchase. |
| Treasure Coast (St. Lucie / Martin) | TIER 2 | Generally permissive; registration | Registration required; HOA review essential | Growing market; lower prices than South FL. Good viability where HOA allows. |
| St. Pete Beach / Clearwater Beach | TIER 3 | City registration; zone restrictions | Minimum stays in some zones; density caps | Viable with proper licensing. Beachfront commands premium rates. Confirm specific city zone. |
| Fort Lauderdale / Broward cities | TIER 3 | City-by-city; wide variation | Registration required; some neighborhoods restricted | Broward range from STR-friendly to restrictive by city. Confirm specific municipality. |
| Miami (mainland/suburban areas) | TIER 3 | Miami-Dade permits with license; city zones vary | Registration and licensing required; zone restrictions apply | Viable in right zone. Higher entry cost than inland FL. |
| Naples / Collier County | TIER 3 HOA-dependent | County permissive; HOA controls outcome | County allows STR; most Naples master-planned communities have CC&Rs banning it | Without HOA: viable. Within gated master-planned community: almost certainly prohibited. |
| Palm Beach barrier island | TIER 4 RESTRICTED | 30-day minimum ordinance; active enforcement | Municipal code: 30-day minimum stay; significant fines for violations | Not Airbnb/VRBO investment markets. |
| Miami Beach | TIER 4 RESTRICTED | City ordinance: 30-day minimum (2020) | Active enforcement; significant fines | 1-7 night STR effectively prohibited. |
| Master-planned HOA communities (statewide) | TIER 4-5 RESTRICTED to PROHIBITED | CC&Rs routinely prohibit STR | Minimum tenancy clauses (30/60/90/365 days) in CC&Rs override any permissive municipal code | Weston, Parkland, Viera, Estero, most gated communities statewide. CC&Rs run with land. |
| Age-restricted 55+ communities | TIER 5 PROHIBITED | Community rules prohibit all rental | Age qualification prevents any short-stay use | Del Webb, On Top of the World, similar. Not STR investment markets. |
| Tier reflects general regulatory status at last update. Viability requires confirming both municipal rules AND specific property CC&Rs. Sources: FL DBPR, municipal code, HOA CC&R analysis. | ||||
Florida state law (FS 509.032) provides partial preemption of local STR ordinances. It does not override HOA CC&Rs. A property in a permissive county with no city restriction can still be completely prohibited from any STR if the HOA CC&Rs contain a minimum tenancy clause.
CC&R language that prohibits STR: "No rental of less than [30/60/90/180/365] days" • "No transient occupancy or hotel-type use" • "Residential use only — no commercial activity"
CC&Rs run with the land. They are not disclosed on the MLS. Obtain and read them before making any offer — not after the inspection contingency expires.
Brown, Ryan. “Own Luxury Homes® Florida Short-Term Rental Viability Index™.” Own Luxury Homes®. https://www.ownluxuryhomes.com/markets/florida/research-indices/florida-short-term-rental-viability-indexMedia inquiries: ownluxuryhomes.com/connect · 407-900-7030
"The introduction Own Luxury Homes® makes is to a specialist with documented closing history in your specific market — not the county, not the metro, the submarket you're actually selling or buying in. That's the standard we verify before your name goes anywhere."
— Ryan Brown, Principal Broker & CEO, Own Luxury Homes® (FL License BK3626873)