Registration Rules: Cape Coral vs Fort Myers

How do I register my Fort Myers short-term rental?

Five registration tracks at three levels of government, because the City of Fort Myers does not operate a single STR-specific registration: (1) Florida DBPR Vacation Rental Dwelling or Condo license via myfloridalicense.com (approximately $170/year + $50 application, expires October 1); (2) Florida Department of Revenue sales tax account via Form DR-1 for the 6% state sales tax and 0.5% Lee County surtax; (3) Lee County Clerk Tourist Tax Office registration for the 5% Lee TDT at leeclerk.org; (4) City of Fort Myers Local Business Tax Receipt at 1825 Hendry Street, Suite 101 or by mail (renewal cycle July 1 - September 30); (5) Lee County Local Business Tax Receipt from the Lee County Tax Collector at leetc.com.

Why doesn't Fort Myers have a single STR registration like Fort Myers Beach?

Florida vacation rental preemption at FS § 509.032(7)(b). Cities that did not adopt an STR-specific ordinance on or before June 1, 2011 are preempted from doing so now. Fort Myers Beach (a separate Lee County municipality) adopted its STR registration program under earlier authority and operates Resolution 18-01 with $300/unit fees and Rentalscape platform registration. The City of Fort Myers proper did not adopt a pre-2011 STR ordinance and therefore cannot operate a single STR registration program - operators must instead navigate the generally-applicable state DBPR license, city/county business tax receipts, and state/county tax registrations.

What zones in Fort Myers allow short-term rentals?

Because the City of Fort Myers cannot adopt STR-specific zoning restrictions, STRs are generally permitted in any zone that allows residential use. Commercial (C-1, C-2, C-3), Mixed-Use Development, Tourist Commercial, and Downtown Development zones generally have the lowest friction; Residential Single-Family zones permit residential use including STRs subject to generally-applicable Land Development Code requirements; Historic District overlays may impose additional design/use criteria on the same terms as any other property. Verify your specific parcel's zoning with the Planning Department at (239) 321-7925 before listing. The city cannot single out STRs for special zoning treatment, but it can apply generally-applicable Land Development Code provisions on the same terms as any other residential use.