Short-Term Rentals in Lee County, FL (2026)

10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Lee County, Florida.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Lee County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply — see the city list below.

Permit Requirements

Unincorporated Lee County requires no county short-term-rental permit. Florida preempts vacation-rental licensing to the state: a vacation rental must hold a state license from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants (DBPR). Lee County only administers the 5% Tourist Development (bed) Tax and generally-applicable nuisance codes.

Lee County Vacation Rentals: State License, Not County Permit

Some Restrictions

FS 509.032(7)(b)

A local law, ordinance, or regulation may not prohibit vacation rentals or regulate the duration or frequency of rental of vacation rentals. This paragraph does not apply to any local law, ordinance, or regulation adopted on or before June 1, 2011.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Noise Rules

Lee County cannot impose vacation-rental-only noise rules, but its generally-applicable noise ordinance applies fully to rental guests. Loud parties, amplified music, and disturbances are enforced by Lee County code enforcement and the Sheriff, and repeated violations can jeopardize a rental's DBPR license.

Lee County STR Noise: General Noise Ordinance Applies

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Lee County levies a 5% Tourist Development Tax on rentals of six months or less. The dealer collects it from every transient guest and remits it to the Lee County Clerk. This 5% bed tax is on top of Florida's 6% state sales tax and any local discretionary surtax.

Lee County 5% Tourist Development (Bed) Tax

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Parking Rules

Lee County has no vacation-rental-specific parking ordinance. Because state law preempts new local STR rules, guest parking is governed by the same generally-applicable Land Development Code standards that apply to any residence: off-street parking must be on approved surfaces, and vehicles may not block rights-of-way or sidewalks.

Lee County STR Parking: General Zoning Rules Apply

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Occupancy Limits

Unincorporated Lee County sets no post-2011 vacation-rental-specific occupancy cap; Florida preemption blocks new local rules based on a rental's classification, use, or occupancy. Guests are limited only by the Florida Building Code, generally-applicable zoning density, and the property's septic capacity.

Lee County Vacation-Rental Occupancy Limits

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Insurance Requirements

Lee County imposes no vacation-rental insurance requirement, and Florida does not set a statutory minimum liability policy for vacation rentals. Coverage is left to the host and any platform host-protection program. Carrying commercial short-term-rental liability coverage is strongly recommended but not legally required in the unincorporated county.

Lee County STR Insurance: No County Mandate

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Night Caps

Lee County cannot cap how many nights or how often a vacation rental operates. FS 509.032(7)(b) expressly bars local ordinances adopted after June 1, 2011 from regulating the duration or frequency of vacation rentals, so there is no minimum-stay or annual-night limit in the unincorporated county.

No Annual Night Cap on Lee County Vacation Rentals

Some Restrictions

FS 509.032(7)(b)

A local law, ordinance, or regulation may not prohibit vacation rentals or regulate the duration or frequency of rental of vacation rentals. This paragraph does not apply to any local law, ordinance, or regulation adopted on or before June 1, 2011.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Registration Rules

There is no Lee County vacation-rental registration ordinance; the state preempts it. Instead you register the vacation rental for a state DBPR license, obtain a Florida sales-tax certificate from the Department of Revenue, and register with the Lee County Clerk's Tourist Tax Office to collect the 5% bed tax.

Lee County STR Registration: State License Plus Tax Account

Some Restrictions

FS 509.242(1)(c)

A vacation rental is any unit or group of units in a condominium or cooperative or any individually or collectively owned single-family, two-family, three-family, or four-family house or dwelling unit that is also a transient public lodging establishment but that is not a timeshare project.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

Lee County does not require a host or on-site manager to be present during a vacation rental. State preemption blocks such use-based local rules. Un-hosted, remotely managed whole-home rentals are lawful in the unincorporated area, though state law requires a licensed operator responsible for the establishment.

No Host-Presence Requirement for Lee County STRs

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Lee County cannot require a vacation rental to be the owner's primary residence. Florida preempts local rules restricting vacation rentals based on use or occupancy (FS 509.032(7)(b)), so non-owner-occupied, whole-home, and investor rentals are all lawful in the unincorporated area, subject only to the state license and bed tax.

No Primary-Residence Requirement for Lee County STRs

Some Restrictions

FS 509.032(7)(b)

A local law, ordinance, or regulation may not prohibit vacation rentals or regulate the duration or frequency of rental of vacation rentals. This paragraph does not apply to any local law, ordinance, or regulation adopted on or before June 1, 2011.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Short-Term Rentals by City in Lee County

2 cities in Lee County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.

Cape CoralPop. 194,016

4 verified rules • Noise Rules, Parking Rules

Fort MyersPop. 86,424

10 verified rules • Host Presence Rule, Insurance Requirements

All Lee County ordinances

See every category we cover for Lee County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.

Lee County Ordinance Hub →