Short-Term Rentals in Santa Rosa County, FL (2026)

4 rules for unincorporated Santa Rosa County, Florida.

Verified from official government sources

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

Short-Term Rental Permits

Florida preempts vacation-rental licensing to the state, so you obtain a DBPR vacation-rental license, not a county permit. Santa Rosa County has no separate STR operating permit for unincorporated areas; it registers rentals only for tourist-tax purposes.

Do you need a short-term rental permit in Santa Rosa County?

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.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Noise Rules

STR guests must obey the county's noise ordinance, which caps sound at the property line: roughly 60 dB overnight (9 p.m.–7 a.m.) for residential areas and 70–85 dB by day depending on zoning. It applies countywide to unincorporated land.

Short-term rental noise rules in Santa Rosa County

Some Restrictions

Santa Rosa County noise ordinance

Noise is measured by calibrated meters at the receiving property line. From 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. the limit is 60 decibels for residential properties and 80 decibels for industrial sites; daytime limits range 70 to 85 decibels by zoning.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Santa Rosa County's Tourist Development Tax is 5% of gross rent for stays of six months or less, collected on top of state sales tax. Owners remit it monthly to the Clerk of Courts under FS 125.0104.

Santa Rosa County Tourist Development (bed) tax on rentals

Some Restrictions

FS 125.0104; Santa Rosa County TDT

Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Tax is 5%. ... The tax applies to the rental or lease of living quarters and accommodations for a term of 6 months or less.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Night Caps

Santa Rosa County imposes no minimum-night stay and no cap on how many nights or times per year a property may be rented. Florida law (FS 509.032(7)) expressly forbids counties from regulating rental duration or frequency.

Minimum-night or rental-frequency caps in Santa Rosa County

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.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

All Santa Rosa County ordinances

See every category we cover for Santa Rosa County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.

Santa Rosa County Ordinance Hub →