10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Sarasota County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Sarasota County has no standalone STR permit. Operators must hold a Florida DBPR transient public-lodging license (state) and comply with the county's 30-day minimum-rental rule outside the barrier-island multi-family exception.
Sarasota County has no STR-only noise rule; the general county noise ordinance covers rental guests like any resident. Amplified sound and loud noise are restricted, with tighter limits overnight.
Sarasota County levies a 6% Tourist Development Tax on rentals of six months or less, on top of 7% state sales tax. Owners must register a bed-tax account with the Sarasota County Tax Collector before renting.
FS 125.0104; Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax
The Tourist Development Tax (also referred to as tourist tax, bed tax or resort tax) is a 6% charge on the revenue from rentals of six months or less.
Sarasota County has no short-term-rental parking ordinance. Rentals follow the same residential off-street parking and no-street-obstruction rules as any home. A future registration program could add 'parking arrangements.'
Sarasota County's UDC sets no numeric per-unit occupancy cap for rentals; a proposed registration program could add maximum occupancies. Florida preempts local rules that would target STR occupancy differently from other homes.
Sarasota County does not require short-term-rental hosts to carry specific insurance. Standard homeowners policies often exclude rental use, so hosts should verify liability and commercial coverage independently.
Sarasota County does not cap the number of rental nights or bookings per year. Florida law bars local governments from regulating the frequency or duration of vacation rentals, except under pre-2011 ordinances.
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.
Sarasota County has not adopted a short-term-rental registration program. Commissioners directed staff in April 2026 to study one. Until then, registration means the state DBPR license plus the Tax Collector tourist-tax account.
Unincorporated Sarasota County does not require an owner or host to be on-site during a rental. A future registration program could require a locally 'designated responsible party,' but none is in effect.
Sarasota County does not require STRs to be an owner's primary residence. Instead, the UDC bans leases under 30 days in most residential zones, allowing true short-term rental only for barrier-island multi-family property.
3 cities in Sarasota County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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