Primary-Residence-Only Rule
Santa Rosa County does NOT require a short-term rental to be the owner's primary residence. Whole-home, non-owner-occupied vacation rentals are allowed; state law bars the county from limiting rentals this way.
10 rules for unincorporated Santa Rosa County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The county has no STR-specific parking mandate. Guests must follow the same rules as residents — off-street parking, no blocking roads or right-of-way — and any HOA parking limits. Navarre Beach parking is enforced by county code.
Santa Rosa County sets no separate STR occupancy cap. Maximum occupancy follows the state vacation-rental license, the Florida Building/Fire Code, and any HOA rules — not a county ordinance limiting guests per bedroom.
Santa Rosa County does not require short-term rental hosts to carry a specific insurance policy. Coverage is a private/lender matter; owners should carry commercial short-term-rental or landlord liability coverage, plus flood and windstorm in coastal areas.
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.
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.
Owners must register short-term rental property with the Santa Rosa County Clerk of Courts and remit Tourist Development Tax. This tax registration — not an operating license — is the county's only STR sign-up requirement.
Santa Rosa County TDT (FS 125.0104)
The property owner is required to register short term rental property located within Santa Rosa County with the Santa Rosa County Clerk of Courts and collect and remit the tax.
No. Santa Rosa County does not require the host or a manager to be physically present or on-site during guest stays. Unhosted, remotely managed whole-home rentals are permitted under state and county rules.
Santa Rosa County does NOT require a short-term rental to be the owner's primary residence. Whole-home, non-owner-occupied vacation rentals are allowed; state law bars the county from limiting rentals this way.
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